Deadline
by Flynne
Summary: Bo disappears, an unexpected visitor shows up in Hazzard, a powerful, determined businessman is behind it all...and time is running out. Complete!
1. Running Down the General

**- Prologue -**

"I'm running out of patience, my friend. I'm not going to wait much longer."

"I feel sorry for you, 'cause I ain't gonna give you what you want."

"Don't be too sure. You see, I know who you are, Mr. Duke…Oh, _please._ Don't look so surprised. You hardly bothered to hide your name. It's child's play to do a bit of checking these days."

"…Okay, so you know my name. What do I care?"

"The real question is: How _much_ do you care?"

"You get a real kick outta playin' these little games, don't you?"

"This is no game, Mr. Duke. I know who you are, which means I know who your family is…Ah, you're beginning to understand, aren't you?"

"You can threaten me all you want, Clayton, but you leave him out of it!"

"Getting angry isn't going to help you. Or him."

"I'm telling you: leave him alone! He's got nothing to do with this."

"He does now, thanks to you. How much do you care about him?"

"Clayton, I'm warning you—"

"You're in no position to give warnings! You've got two days to think about it. Or rather, your family has two days for you to think about it. I'm being more than generous if you remember what you owe me. Consider your options carefully. It would be a shame for you to have to bear the burden of guilt for his demise."

"Don't be so melodramatic. It makes me sick."

**- Chapter One -**

"**Running Down the General"**

Bo took a deep breath and decided that sunrise on an April morning was probably the best time to be alive. The tractor rumbled pleasantly along the wide field as it pulled the plow, churning up the dark soil and filling the air with a cool, wet smell. Cool tendrils of fog curled around him and left droplets suspended in his hair as the slow breeze blew past him. He had been in the field since sunup, when the red-orange beams of sunlight slanted through the mist and glittered on the dew as the tangerine-colored sun hovered over the distant hills. The sun was round and yellow now, lifting higher into the sky as it melted away the last of the fog.

Bo spun the wheel at the end of the row, bringing the tractor in a tight turn as he started back the way he had come, carving a new path through the open field. The old machine creaked in protest at the sharp turn, but he expertly compensated for the strain and kept chugging along without pause.

When he saw a familiar figure standing at the edge of the field, he grinned and started moving a little faster. Jesse Duke waited patiently for his nephew to reach the end of the row. Bo waved as he approached and stomped on the clutch, bringing the tractor to a lurching halt.

"Howdy, Uncle Jesse! What can I do for ya?"

Jesse put his hands on his hips in a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "For starters, you can remember what you're drivin'!" he scolded. "That ain't the General Lee. That's a _tractor_, and it's a mite too old to be tearin' around the field in. _Slow_, Bo. _Slow._" He shook his head. "Lord have mercy, but neither you nor Luke can ever remember that." Bo grinned sheepishly—although Jesse thought his nephew looked a bit too pleased to learn that he had been inadvertently hot-rodding the plodding old piece of machinery.

"I'm almost done," Bo said, indicating the acreage behind him with a wave of his arm. "I did the back forty first thing this mornin' and now I've got just over half this field left."

Jesse nodded. "Good. I need you to run into town for me when you get the chance. I promised Cooter I'd pay him what we owe him for gas by the end of the week, and we're runnin' low on a few supplies. Daisy an' me are fixin' the windows on the house and I asked Luke to patch the barn roof and change the oil in the cars today. If the General needs it, he can do it when you get back."

"Sure thing, Uncle Jesse. Won't be more than an hour or so before I'm done."

"Remember, take it easy with that tractor," Jesse reminded him one more time. "He's an old man and he don't move so fast. Be nice to him."

Bo chuckled. "Yes, sir!" Then he tipped his head and smirked playfully. "I don't know what all this talk about bein' slow and old is all about, though. _You're_ still a pretty fast mover, ain't ya?" He laughed and ducked the dirt clod that Jesse lobbed at him, started up the tractor again, and headed back down the row. He remembered his uncle's instructions and kept the tractor chugging along at a reasonable pace. An hour and a half later, he was pulling the tractor into its spot in the barn. He hopped down and headed for the house, slapping the dust from his jeans.

"Wipe your feet!" Daisy called from the other room as she heard the kitchen door slam.

"How'd you know it was me?" Bo asked, dragging his topsoil-covered work boots across the doormat.

Daisy poked her head through the doorway. "I didn't have to. Had to be you or Luke, and no matter which one of you it is, you boys always are trackin' in something. I just finished sweepin' in here." She pointed to the refrigerator. "I knew you'd be hungry when you came in so I made you a sandwich. There's one for Luke in there, too, so don't take both of 'em."

"You ain't just a pretty face; you're a mind-reader!" Bo grinned, retrieving his plate from the fridge. "I'm starvin'. Ain't no way I can wait 'til I get back from town to eat."

"Hey, Uncle Jesse wanted me to give this to you. Said you were supposed to pick this stuff up while you're in town. There's money there for Cooter, too." Daisy handed him a short list of items and an envelope. Then she paused and looked him up and down, raising her eyebrow. "You're gonna change before you leave, aren't you?"

Bo looked down at his faded red t-shirt and ripped blue jeans, both of which were covered in a fine layer of dust. He shrugged and stuffed a huge bite into his mouth. "Nope." Daisy rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. She stepped out of the kitchen again and Bo heard her cross the living room to pull out the storm windows that had been in place all winter. He finished eating quickly and called up Cooter on the CB to let him know he'd be on his way.

Luke was perched on top of the barn, hammering some new shingles into place. Bo hollered up to him and waved before he slid into the General Lee and drove off.

He had gotten about five miles from home when he noticed a dark gray sedan on the road behind him. He mildly wondered where it had come from since he hadn't seen where it turned onto the road, but he didn't recognize the car and he wasn't all that curious.

But then the car began pulling closer and closer behind him. He frowned, glancing down at the speedometer. "I ain't exactly pokin' along, friend," he said conversationally. Then he smirked as an idea came to him. "But go on and pass if you want to. That way, Rosco'll pick _you_ up instead of doggin' on _me_." He slowed down a bit to let the other driver by, but had to step on the gas seconds later to keep the gray car from plowing into him from behind.

"Geez, what kind of a nutcase are you anyhow?" he grumbled, darting a frustrated glance behind him. The black tinted windows of the car behind him were like a blank face, concealing anyone who might be inside. Bo decided he had had enough of this little game. He settled back in his seat and picked up speed, guiding his car easily over the familiar roads.

He had expected the gray car to fall behind, but the growing roar of the engine behind him told him that it wasn't going to happen. He made an abrupt decision and took a hard right turn at the rapidly approaching intersection. It wouldn't take him into town, but it would get him out of the way of the other car.

There was a squeal of tires as the other driver picked up speed and swerved around the corner after him. The other car barreled past him, so close that the General nearly slid off the road. Bo leaned hard into the turn to keep his car from going into the ditch.

"All right, that's it!" he snapped. "You wanna try and catch me? Go right ahead!" The General took off down the road, leaving the gray car behind as it recovered from the sharp turn. A billowing cloud of dust floated behind the bright orange car, obscuring the road behind. It was with astonishment that Bo saw the dark shadow behind him as the pursuing car pulled into view.

The car was riding hard on his tail. Bo was surprised that such a clunky-looking sedan could keep up—and if he weren't starting to get royally pissed off, he'd be impressed. Then the gray car lurched forward and banged into the back of the General, jostling him in his seat.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" he burst out angrily. His hands clutched the wheel in a white-knuckled grip as he tried to maintain control of the skidding car. Again the sedan bumped into him, nearly sending him spinning into the brush by the side of the road. "Doggonnit, if they scratch up the paint—"

"Come on, General," he said through gritted teeth. "Let's see if he can keep up goin' cross-country." He spun the wheel to the right and the car flew off the narrow dirt road and bounced across an open field. The wind whipped through his hair as it rushed through the open windows. The gray car didn't hesitate to follow, and even though Bo gained ground through the element of surprise, the gap between the two cars was quickly closed again as the sedan caught up.

"He's good," Bo muttered. "More'n that, he really wants me bad." He was mad, but now he was starting to get nervous. He risked letting go of the wheel with one hand to grab the CB.

"This is Bo Duke callin' the Hazzard Net—"

_WHAM!_

The CB mike clattered to the floor as the pursuing car surged forward and smashed into the back of the General. Bo was forced to latch both hands onto the wheel as he came dangerously close to losing control. He pulled a hard turn to the left, tires churning up chunks of sod as the General pivoted and took off. The V8 engine roared as Bo pressed the gas pedal against the floor. He risked a quick glance back. The sedan was still hanging on, but was lagging a little behind. A tight grin crossed Bo's face as he faced forward again. He knew every inch of back country in Hazzard County, and he knew exactly what lay just a quarter mile ahead.

"Whattaya say we see if that car can fly?" he asked the General. He stared straight ahead as his car raced along, keeping his eye out for the ravine he knew was coming. He braced himself and took a deep breath as the bright orange car shot up an incline. Suddenly the ground disappeared and he felt the familiar adrenaline rush as he flew over the ravine in a graceful arc. The sturdy stock car landed with a powerful jolt, kicking up gravel as the spinning tires hit the dirt. Bo hardly had time to get the car under control before the gray sedan, whose driver had not balked at the jump, caught up with him and slammed into the General's tail even harder than before.

Bo barely managed to hang on to the wheel. Heart pounding, he wrenched his car around in a nearly out-of-control skid. Then his breath caught in his throat as a second car appeared out of nowhere, bearing down on him fast from the left. He jerked the wheel to the right, but it was too much for the car to handle. He hadn't recovered the General from the erratic path from the jump, and he was going too fast to handle the sudden change in direction.

The car spun in a wild circle, throwing Bo hard against the door. He managed to hold onto the wheel, but it didn't do any good. Three seconds later, the General stopped as it slammed up against a maple tree.


	2. Lost Sheep

_Here's chapter 2! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you're interested so far._

_- _Flynne :)

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**- Chapter Two -**

"**Lost Sheep"**

Bo coughed painfully in the settling dust—the impact of the crash had knocked the wind out of him. He slowly uncurled his fingers from around the wheel, feeling his arms shake from the effort of the wild chase. He blinked dizzily. His head was buzzing and his vision had grayed out when the car hit the tree, but as far as he could tell, he wasn't hurt. The right rear tire of his car was crushed against the thick tree trunk, and from the way the car was sitting, Bo knew he'd blown at least one tire to kingdom come.

The gray sedan had stopped about thirty feet away, next to the second car. Breathing hard, Bo watched both vehicles warily. He knew they had been working together…it had been a rough chase, but if it hadn't been for that second car, they never would have caught him. There was no sign of movement from either of them. He had no earthly idea why they had been after him, but he knew he needed help. He ducked down to grope for the CB mike once again.

"Hold it," someone said suddenly.

Bo jerked around, startled, and saw that two men in business suits had emerged from the gray car. Both of them were holding sleek-looking handguns. One of the men stepped forward. "Get your hands where I can see them," he called out. "I know you've got a CB in that car. If you touch it, you die."

Bo couldn't suppress a shiver at the cold, dispassionate tone of the other man's voice. He slowly put his hands on the wheel and stared straight ahead, willing his racing heart to slow down.

Long grass rustled underfoot as the two men approached. Their eyes were shielded by dark glasses and their suits were identical. One was younger than the other, with short dark hair. The other man was older, somewhere in his forties. His scalp was shaved smooth. Both were tall and tough-looking. It was the bald man who had spoken, and as he and his companion stopped beside the General, he gestured with his gun and said, "Out of the car."

Bo hauled himself through the open window and hopped to the ground, stepping away so his back pressed against the car behind him. He was scared, but being scared never shut him up. "What'd you run me off the road for?" he demanded angrily. "I ain't done nothin' to you!"

"Mr. Duke, you're coming with us."

"I'm _what_?" Bo swallowed hard, feeling a cold spike of fear slice through the anger burning in his chest.

"You're coming with us."

"Wait just a dang minute, here—"

"Right now, Mr. Duke." The bald man removed his sunglasses and pierced Bo's wide blue eyes with his cold gray stare. "You _are_ going to come with us. It's up to you whether you come alive or dead. It makes no difference to me."

"Okay," Bo forced out, trying to speak calmly but hearing his voice shake in spite of himself. "Okay, I'll come." The two men took hold of his arms and marched him back to their car as the second car drove off in a cloud of dust. The bald man holstered his handgun and moved to the driver's side while the dark-haired man pushed Bo into the back seat and slid in next to him. The bright sunlight disappeared as the door with the black-tinted windows slammed shut, and the cold muzzle of the pistol nestled against Bo's side as the car rolled away.

**xxxxxx**

Luke lay flat on his back and scooted just a little farther underneath Daisy's Jeep, snaking his hand up into the metal innards of the vehicle to wrap his fingers around the oil filter. He braced himself and twisted hard as he tried to remove it, but it was stuck tighter than a tick on a coonhound.

"Aw, for Pete's sake," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Why the heck did I put this on so _tight_ last time?" He paused and let go of the filter just long enough to shake out his stiff fingers before gripping the stubborn part and trying again. This time, it finally budged. "Ha! Got it!" He quickly unscrewed the filter and pulled it off. Warm oil dripped from the end and ran down his arm.

"_Breaker One, Breaker One—might be crazy, but I ain't dumb! Hazzard Net, this is Crazy Cooter comin' at ya, callin' Lost Sheep #2—Bo Duke, you got your ears on out there?"_

Luke perked up when he heard the familiar voice over the CB in the Jeep, but he figured Bo had been on his way out of town and Cooter was trying to call him back. When he heard Cooter call Bo a second time, though, he slid out from underneath the vehicle and reached up to grab the mike, pulling it down to where he sat on the floor.

"Hey, Cooter, this here's Luke. Did I just hear you call for Bo?"

"_Sure did, Luke. That bum cousin of yours was s'posed to meet me over four hours ago. He ain't here yet."_

Luke frowned and grabbed onto the side of the Jeep, pulling himself to his feet. "He didn't call or nothin'?"

"_Nope. I had to step out for a while to get some supplies and by the time I came back I had a job—Rosco's done busted up his car again—so I got busy and plumb forgot Bo was comin'. Looks like he forgot, too."_

"Nah, Bo left here this mornin' and he said he was gonna meet you." Luke reached for a rag to wipe the oil off his hands. "Maybe he didn't show 'cause he was the reason Rosco wrecked his car."

Cooter chuckled. _"I thought about that, but Rosco just said somethin' about Flash drivin' and a bunch of chickens in the road. He didn't say nothin' 'bout Bo, and you know if he'd been chasin' the General he woulda been stompin' and yellin' all over the place."_

"You're right about that." Luke felt the first faint stirrings of uneasiness.

"_I tried raisin' him on all the other frequencies," _Cooter went on, _"but he ain't answering. That's when I decided to call over the Net."_

"That ain't like him, Cooter."

"_Looks like one of you Lost Sheep really **did** get yourself lost this time, don't it?"_

"Yeah." Luke didn't find the irony amusing.

"_Don't sound so glum, Lucas! I'm sure he's okay. It ain't like you to be a mother hen."_

Luke shook his head and smiled reluctantly. "I know, but—"

"_Breaker, breaker, this is Amos Pickett cuttin' in,"_ came a new voice. _"'Scuse me, Luke, but I got somethin' you might wanna hear."_

"I hear ya, Amos. You got somethin' on Bo?"

"_Well, I don't rightly know…but I heard y'all talkin' over the Net here at my place, and…well, I coulda swore I heard Bo on the Net earlier today."_

"You did? Well, what'd he say?"

"_I guess I don't know that either. I was drivin' that wife of mine into town and she was yappin' at me like always, and I **thought** I heard Bo start to broadcast, but then it cut off and I didn't hear no more. He didn't try again."_

Now Luke was officially worried. "Okay, thanks Amos."

"_You're welcome, Luke. I'll let ya know if I hear from him again. Over and out."_

There was a long pause. Luke wet his lips nervously and scuffed his boot against the dusty garage floor. Cooter was right—sure, he tended to look out for Bo through force of habit, but he certainly wasn't what you'd call a mother hen. But now…he had a gut feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Finally Cooter sighed. _"Okay, Luke. I know exactly what you're gettin' ready to say. So lemme gas up my truck and I'll get out on the road to help you look for him."_

Luke smiled gratefully, even though Cooter couldn't see him. "Thanks, Coot. Give me a shout when you're ready to go. I'm gone."

"Look for who?"

The sudden voice behind him startled him, and he nearly dropped the CB mike as he jumped. Daisy stood in the entrance to the garage holding a crate full of storm windows, head tipped to the side as she studied her cousin's face.

"Oh—Daisy…" Luke stammered. "Um…here, lemme get that for you." He strode forward and took the heavy crate from her arms, lifting it to its shelf in the garage. He turned around to see her watching him carefully.

"Don't you keep anything from me, Luke," she warned, folding her arms across her chest. "I can tell somethin's wrong, so spit it out."

Luke didn't want to worry her, but he'd learned long ago not to argue with Daisy. "Bo didn't show up at Cooter's this morning and we can't raise him on the CB," he replied.

"And you're goin' to look for him."

"Yeah."

Daisy nodded once. "Well then, you'd better finish up with my car. I'm goin' too."

Luke hurried to finish changing the oil on the Jeep while Daisy ran back to the house to get their uncle. Between the three of them, they decided that Luke should take the truck while Daisy and Jesse rode together. As soon as they heard from Cooter they left the farm in opposite directions, taking the back roads in an ever-widening sweep of the county.

**xxxxx**

Dusk was rapidly falling. Luke's hands tightened on the wheel and he took a deep breath to try and ease the tightness in his chest. Anybody in the county who had a CB knew that Bo had gone missing. Enos had had his eyes peeled as he made his rounds. Even Rosco had started looking, taking his own car on the back roads since his patrol car was still in the shop. He had joined the search saying that Bo owed him money for speeding tickets, but everyone knew the cantankerous sheriff was just as concerned as they were.

But nobody had seen Bo or the General Lee; and now with night coming on, Luke was moving well past worry and starting to get scared. He was miles from Hazzard on a road that Bo couldn't possibly have taken if he were headed into town, but he couldn't think of anywhere closer that he hadn't already searched.

"Come on, Bo…where the heck did you get to?" he mumbled under his breath.

Suddenly, as if in answer to his question, something caught his eye. He abruptly straightened in his seat, fumbling for the mike. "Hey y'all out there, this is Luke Duke. I just found a lot of off-road tire tracks just off of North County Road. I'm gonna check it out."

"_Luke, I'm pretty close to ya,"_ Cooter replied. _"I'll meet you over there."_

"Ten-four." Luke swerved off the road and followed the tracks. He grew increasingly alarmed and confused as he realized there had been more than one car that had passed that way. The path was erratic and from the depth of the ruts carved in the earth, Luke could tell that it had been at high speed. _If this was Bo, then either he was chasin' somebody—or someone was chasin' him._

Luke abruptly had to slam on the brakes as he suddenly realized he was approaching a deep ravine up ahead. He let out a growl of annoyance, knowing that Jesse's battered old truck wouldn't be able to jump it. He was more worried than ever now, because he knew for sure that Bo had been the one being chased; nobody but a Duke would have attempted the jump over the wide ravine.

He picked up the mike again. "Lost Sheep One to Shepherd—I'm gonna have to get out of the truck and go on foot."

"_Ten-four, Luke. Do you want us to come?"_

"No, I'll keep you informed." Luke hopped out of the truck and slid down the side of the ravine, bringing a cascade of leaves and loose dirt down with him. He jumped over the narrow creek and scrambled up the steep side, grabbing onto tree roots to haul himself to the top. When he crested the ridge, he took a short look around and froze. He'd found the General Lee.

Tire tracks spiraled crazily over the open ground, showing where the car had spun in circles. The right rear panel of the car was smashed up against a tree that had obviously stopped the General's out-of-control spin. Luke shook off the astonishment that had stunned him and sprinted across the field, calling his cousin's name. He skidded to a stop next to the car, heart pounding, terrified of what he might find.

The car was empty. For a moment, Luke hesitated, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Then he turned and looked around, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Bo, you out there? Hey, _Bo!_" No answer.

The sound of an engine reached his ears and he saw Cooter's yellow tow truck moving towards him from the opposite direction he had come. The sturdy vehicle lurched to a stop and Cooter was out the door before the engine cut off.

"Is he hurt bad?" he asked breathlessly as he hurried over.

"I don't know. He ain't in there."

"Huh?" Cooter peered past him into the front seat. "Well, how d'you like that?" Then he looked up hopefully. "Well…that means he's okay, don't it? Maybe he couldn't hitch a ride and started walkin'."

"It's been hours. He woulda made it back by now. Anyway, why didn't he call to let us know he'd been in an accident?"

"Maybe the CB's busted. Did you check to see if it works?"

"No," Luke admitted. He reached in through the open window and picked the mike up from where it lay on the floor. "Uncle Jesse, this is Luke. You hear me?"

The answer was immediate. _"Loud and clear, Luke. What's up?"_

Luke sighed. There went _that_ theory. "We found the car, Uncle Jesse. Bo ain't here."

"_He's not? Well, where could he be?"_

"I don't know." Luke cringed and closed his eyes, not wanting to say what was on his mind. "Uncle Jesse…you might try callin' the hospital to see if he's been brought there. The car's been wrecked." There was a long pause. "There are other tire tracks here," he continued. "Maybe someone saw what happened and took Bo to get help."

"_Yeah…yeah, maybe."_ Jesse's voice was troubled. _"Me and Daisy ain't too far from Tri-County. We'll—we'll check there and have them call Capital City."_

"Ten-four, Uncle Jesse." Luke slowly lowered his hand and dropped the mike into the car. He looked back at Cooter. "Come on, I wanna follow these other wheel tracks. Two cars drove away from here and I'm gonna see where they went." He slid into the cab of Cooter's tow truck, and the two men started over the open field once more. They could tell that once the cars had reached the road again they had turned south, but beyond that it was impossible to tell where they might have gone.

Luke thumped his fist against the door in frustration. "Didn't expect to find anything, but I couldn't help hopin'."

Cooter turned his truck around and started back the way they had come. "We can't do nothin' else out here," he said sensibly. "So lemme tow the General back to my garage while you check in with everyone else. Hazzard County's not _that _big. Someone had to see what happened."

Luke simply nodded distractedly in reply. The Dukes had a sixth sense about each other when something was wrong, and right now his Bo Alarm was pinging like crazy—but all he could do was wait and pray that his cousin was safe.


	3. The Wrong Man

_Order up! _:) _Thanks to everyone for your kind comments! By the way, the reason you don't know who was being threatened by the person called Clayton in the prologue is because you weren't supposed to know yet. I'm sneaky that way. (Well, ok…at least I **try** to be.) _

_You'll know when you know. _;)

- Flynne :)

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**- Chapter Three -**

"**The Wrong Man"**

"What's the verdict?"

"Well…" Cooter pulled himself out from under the General. "The car's okay. Just banged up a bit. Most of those dents can be pounded out…the suspension got kinda screwed up, but I can fix that. And aside from needin' new tires…" The mechanic shrugged. "The ol' General got off lucky."

Luke sighed heavily, folding his arms across his broad chest as he frowned at the car. Daisy and Jesse had reported in hours ago: Bo wasn't at Tri-County and nobody fitting his description had been admitted to the Capital City hospital. It didn't help Luke to feel much better. Just because he wasn't in the hospital didn't mean he was all right. Daisy and Jesse had returned home, at a loss of what else they should do. Half the county was on the lookout, but nobody had seen hide or hair of the younger Duke boy.

"Cooter, somethin's really wrong about this. Bo Duke does not wreck cars."

Cooter took off his hat and mussed his hair. "That's true enough." He ran his hand along the body of the car as he walked behind it—and then he stopped dead in his tracks. "Whoa, now…Luke, you boys been rear-ended by anybody lately?"

"No, why?"

"Well, I think you're right about somethin' fishy goin' on—and here's the proof. Take a look at this."

Luke squatted on the ground next to his friend and took a closer look at the back end of the car. Several dark gray streaks marred the dents in the bright orange paint. "It weren't no tree that did this," Cooter said grimly. "I was so het up about this whole mess that I didn't notice before. That's auto paint. Somebody done run Bo off the road."

The faint suspicion that had been scratching at the back of Luke's mind suddenly sank its claws in deep. "I was afraid of that," he muttered. He rose to his feet and sighed heavily, resting his hands on his hips. "I don't know _what_ to do about this now…" his voice trailed off and he shook his head helplessly.

Cooter clapped a solid hand on Luke's shoulder. "Go home, Luke. You're tired and you can't do nothin' just standin' there. We've done all we can do today. Get somethin' to eat, get some sleep, an' call me in the morning."

The mechanic's reassuring humor coaxed a shadow of a smile onto Luke's face. "All right, Doctor Davenport."

"Atta boy. Now git on outta here. I got work to do."

**xxxxx**

Bo forced himself to remain still and quiet while he rode with his two captors. He could tell they were sharp-witted and short-tempered, and they wouldn't take it kindly if he gave them any guff. The hard muzzle of the handgun never left his side as the car merged onto I-20 and headed west. When they passed the Georgia state line into Alabama, an overwhelming feeling of helplessness washed over him. He'd traveled all over the country on the NASCAR circuit, but he had never felt so far from home as he did right then.

"Where are we goin'?" The thought had been pounding inside his head like a drumbeat, and he didn't realize he'd finally said it aloud until the man next to him dug him sharply in the ribs with his handgun.

"Ow! Hey!" Bo half turned in his seat, burning his fellow passenger with a glare. The tenuous hold he had on his temper snapped. "I ain't done _nothin'_, you dirty pole cat! I asked you a question and I want an answer!"

"Birmingham," the bald driver cut in. "And that's all the answer you'll get for now, so just sit still and keep your mouth shut. We'll be there before too long."

The subtle quiver of the gun against his side was enough to convince Bo that the firearms weren't just for show. These men had no qualms about killing him. So he obeyed the driver's instructions, watching the countryside fly by as the car moved down the interstate. When he saw the first exit for Birmingham he felt his heart give a nervous little flutter in his chest.

The driver steered the sedan into the business district of downtown Birmingham and parked in an underground garage. The dark-haired man didn't bother to conceal his gun as he climbed out of the car, and Bo realized that wherever he was, these men were on home territory. He followed the two men through the small parking garage and into an elevator that took him to the tenth floor of an office building. He didn't hear or see any signs of anyone else.

They ushered him down a carpeted hallway and into a large office covered in dark paneling. A middle-aged man with iron-gray hair smiled at him from behind a large desk. "Come in, Mr. Duke. I'm glad you made it here safely. You've already met Mr. Hacker and Mr. Morgan." He gestured for Hacker, the big dark-haired man, to bring a chair over. "Please sit down."

Bo glared at him and folded his arms across his chest. "I'd rather stand." Hacker and Morgan stepped forward and each put a hand on one of his shoulders. They gave him a firm push and forced him down. Bo shrugged them off angrily, but decided it wasn't worth fighting over. He settled into the chair and turned to look across the desk again.

The man behind it smiled again as he looked his guest over, obviously amused by the young man's well-worn t-shirt and torn jeans in comparison with his own polished appearance. "My name is Robert Clayton," he began. "I'm trying to negotiate a business deal with a member of your family and he's been making it difficult for me. You are here to help convince him to cooperate with me."

Bo scowled. He wasn't sure exactly which one of his family this guy was after, but nobody got away with pushing a Duke around. "That ain't no business deal. Say what you really mean: I'm a hostage, and you're a crook."

Clayton narrowed his eyes. "Count your blessings, boy. You could be dead now. I gave him two days to think over my offer. He has not responded. I had planned for your death to be a consequence for such tardiness, but I wanted to give him one last chance. He has until eight o'clock tomorrow night to decide what he will do. For your sake, I hope he makes the right decision." Bo felt his stomach twist into a hard knot. This guy meant what he said.

Clayton rose, crossing the room to rest his heavy hand on Bo's shoulder. Bo flinched away, clenching his fists as he fought down the urge to pound the self-confident smirk off the older man's face.

The businessman smiled mirthlessly. "I wouldn't worry too much, Luke. He seemed quite anxious to keep you safe. I'm sure he'll come around." He gave Bo's shoulder a final pat and walked away, shutting the door behind him.

Bo stiffened, his pulse racing in his ears. He took a slow, shallow breath. _Luke. He called me Luke. That means…that means he got the wrong guy and he don't know it._

"Get up," Morgan said behind him. "We're leaving." Bo slowly stood, watching both men warily as they escorted him from the room and headed back to the garage. Morgan reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a dark length of cloth. He held it out wordlessly, giving Bo an expectant stare. When Bo made no move towards him, Morgan stepped forward, reaching for his head.

"All right! I'll do it myself," Bo growled. He bound his own eyes, flinching as Hacker pawed the blindfold to make sure it was secure. They maneuvered him into the car again and drove off. It was impossible to tell how far or how fast they were going. Bo gulped against a faint twinge of nausea as he felt the car turn off the asphalt street onto a dirt road. He wasn't sure if the queasiness was from not being able to see as the car rolled along or if it was because he was so nervous, but either way all it did was make things worse.

He let out a sigh of relief when the car finally stopped and Hacker pulled the blindfold off. They were out in the country in front of a well-kept plantation-style house. His two escorts led him inside and took him down a long hallway, leaving him in a comfortably furnished, windowless room. The lock on the thick wooden door clicked shut as they walked away.

Now that he was alone, Bo had time to think. He sank into an overstuffed chair, brow furrowed, face filled with confusion. His mind was racing. _So Clayton don't want anything from Luke. It's Uncle Jesse, then, and Luke's the key to it somehow. But what the heck could Uncle Jesse have that this guy would want?_ He leaned back in the chair to stare at the ceiling. He couldn't remember anything unusual happening at home lately. They'd been busy with spring planting; they'd hardly left the farm, and only Cooter and Enos had come visiting within the past two weeks.

Bo knew that he and Luke were like Jesse's own sons. What in the world could someone want from the kind old man that they would threaten his family for? And what would Jesse want to withhold so badly that even death threats against his children wouldn't sway him? Whatever it was, Bo knew it had to be something beyond his power to understand. It didn't make any sense at all…but he had trusted his uncle for as long as he could remember, and a little rough spot wasn't going to change that now.

And then he wondered: what would Clayton do if he found out he'd kidnapped the wrong man? _I know what he'll do. He don't want me…he'll send his boys out again for Luke, and this time there won't be no mistake._ Bo's heartbeat quickened and he swallowed hard. He knew what would happen then. Clayton would have reached the end of his patience. If he and his men got their hands on Luke, there would be no more chances. They would kill him.

_I can't let that happen._ His handsome face filled with determination and a sharp gleam came into his soft blue eyes. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and hid it out of sight deep inside the cushions of his chair. _Well, Clayton…you wanted Luke Duke…and now you got him!_


	4. Ultimatum

**- Chapter Four -**

"**Ultimatum"**

Luke slid out of the truck with a shadow of his usual energy. He stood there in the darkness for a moment or two, head bowed, leaning against the side of the beat-up white vehicle. Bo was completely, undeniably gone without a trace. Their only hope of locating him had been finding the General Lee. Now all they knew was the car had been wrecked—no, deliberately run off the road—and Bo wasn't in it.

Luke suddenly slammed the truck door shut with such vigor that the dusty old vehicle shook. He felt his hands trembling with frustration as anxiety gnawed away at his gut. His best friend was out there, maybe hurt, and he had no way to find him.

"Luke."

The quiet voice was so unexpected that Luke jumped and spun around, nearly losing his balance as he stumbled backward. He saw a tall, dark-haired man emerge from the shadows at the side of the house. He gasped and his heart lurched inside his chest when he recognized the man's face.

"What—when—how did—?" he sputtered. Then a bewildered smile made its way onto his face and he stepped forward to wrap the man in an enthusiastic hug. "Jud! Where'n the world did you come from?"

"It's good to see you, Luke," his younger brother answered.

"What brings you to Hazzard?"

Jud looked uncomfortable, but he shrugged and smiled. "Wanted to see how my big brother was doing." He glanced at Jesse's pickup. "You don't look like you're doing too good, though. You nearly bashed that door to bits. Somethin' wrong?"

The welcoming smile on Luke's face faded instantly and was replaced by a worried frown. "Sure is, Jud. You picked a heckuva time to come visit. Bo's missing."

"Missing?"

"Yeah." Luke kicked at the dirt in frustration. "He took off for town in the General before noon today and we ain't seen him since. We found the car, but that's all—someone ran it off the road. It was banged up pretty good. Back end was a mess, two tires flat, smashed up against a tree." He sighed noisily, scrunching his hand through his dark hair in frustration. "I don't even know what he was _doin'_ out there. He was headed into Hazzard to see Cooter and he wound up way on the other end of the county. Any driver'd have to be pretty dang good to keep up with Bo for that long. Worst part is I don't even know if he's all right. The General wasn't damaged _that_ bad, but at the speed he was goin'…boy, I just don't know."

When Jud didn't say anything, Luke looked up to see a distant, troubled look on his brother's face. "Man, I'm sorry," he said dejectedly. "Here this is the first time I've seen you in over a year and this is what you walk into."

Jud shook himself out of his daze and looked at Luke again. "Nah, don't apologize. It's not your fault."

"Do Uncle Jesse and Daisy know you're here?"

"No, I just got here. I was waiting outside for you."

Luke reached out and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, then. They'll be happy to see you, and I bet they've got some supper left over."

Jud smiled. "Don't have to twist my arm."

Luke led the way into the house. Jesse and Daisy were surprised and glad to see their unexpected guest. They were in the kitchen and had just finished cleaning up after their late dinner.

"Jud Cane! If you ain't the last person I was expectin' to see!" Daisy exclaimed, hurrying to embrace her cousin.

"We was just finished eatin'," Jesse said. "Pull up a chair and we'll warm you up a plate."

"Don't go to any trouble for me," Jud said as he shook Jesse's hand.

"It ain't no trouble," Luke said. He turned his chair backwards and straddled it, folding his arms over the back. "Daisy would have to do the same thing for me, anyhow." He winked mischievously at her.

"Oh I _would_, would I? Someone sure seems to think he's important around here," Daisy sassed. "You'll be gettin' your _own_ dinner from now on, buster!" She smacked Luke on the back of the head as she walked behind him to retrieve the leftovers from the refrigerator, but she was laughing.

Jesse cleared his throat. "I imagine Luke's told you about Bo," he said slowly.

Jud nodded as his face filled with regret. "He did. I'm awful sorry to hear you can't find him."

"Yeah, that boy's sure got us worried." But Jesse shook himself a little and said, "But we can't do nothin' about it right now, and broodin' won't help—and we _do_ wanna hear what you've been up to. Where are you keepin' yourself these days?"

"Here and there. Most recently in Alabama." He was interrupted as Daisy brought plates to the table for both her cousins. He chatted with his family as he ate and allowed them to fill him in on what had been happening in Hazzard since he had been there.

Jesse finally rose and stretched, stifling a yawn. "Well, I know you young'uns are still goin' strong, but I've gotta turn in." He kissed Daisy on the cheek and put a strong hand on each of his nephews' shoulders. "Say a prayer for Bo before you go to bed, would you please?" he asked softly.

Luke met his eyes and reached up to squeeze Jesse's hand. "You know we will."

"I'm goin' to bed too, Uncle Jesse," Daisy said, rising from the table. "I'm beat, and I'm gonna be up early tomorrow. Jud, it's real nice to see you again. G'night, boys." She lightly touched each of her cousins on the shoulder before slipping her hand in the crook of Jesse's elbow to walk out of the kitchen.

"I don't know how I'm gonna fall asleep, though," she confided softly to her uncle. "I'm just so worried…"

Jesse wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I know, honey. Me too. We just…have to trust that Bo's in God's hands."

Luke watched them go. As they left the kitchen, his broad shoulders slumped and he leaned forward on his chair, shaking his head. "We've just gotta find him," he said quietly.

Jud watched his brother carefully. His breathing became shallow as he slowly began to speak. "Luke…" He wet his lips, looking nervous. "There's something I've gotta tell you." Luke looked up at the solemn, almost frightened tone in the other man's voice. He didn't say anything, but waited for Jud to continue. "I'm not just here for a visit," his brother said. "I came here to warn you."

Luke felt a heavy sense of foreboding settle on his shoulders. "Warn me about what?"

Jud sighed heavily, resting his forehead in his palm. "Bo didn't just disappear. He was kidnapped. And the men weren't after him; they were after _you_."

"Kidnapped. I knew it," Luke hissed. Then his eyes grew wide as his brother's last sentence sank in. "Wait…after _me?_ Jud—what…?"

"They were sent by Robert Clayton. He runs his own accounting firm in Birmingham, but he's more of a mob boss than an accountant. About seven months ago, I was arrested for robbery and assault. I didn't do it but I couldn't prove it, and with a name like 'Killer Cane'…" Jud shook his head ruefully. "Well, nobody was too eager to believe me. I couldn't afford bail or the legal fees. I'd met Clayton a few times before…somehow he found out I was in jail and he took care of things."

Luke was concerned and confused. "Jud, why didn't we hear about this? Why didn't you call us for help?"

Jud gave him a thin, regretful smile. "I lived for more than twenty years without knowing where my real family was. It's not exactly the first thing on my mind every day. And when I _did_ think about you…Aw, Luke, you know I couldn't have asked your family for money. Y'all don't have any more than I've got. You couldn't help—I didn't ask."

Luke had to admit that Jud was right about the money, although he didn't like his younger brother's way of thinking about family. But now wasn't the time to discuss it—not when his cousin was missing; not when the knot of uneasiness in his chest was growing tighter with every passing second. So he just sighed a little and said, "Go on."

"Well, when all was said and done, the robbery and assault charges were pinned on another guy. I don't know if he really did it—looking back, I bet he was set up too, seeing how Clayton paid for everything…and now I owe him a heck of a lot of money. He gave me six months to pay it off. I told him I couldn't do it, but he wouldn't listen. Either I paid him off by the deadline or I'd have to sign over and fight for _him _as Killer Cane until my debt was paid. I wouldn't sign the contract, Luke. Anyone who's ever employed by Clayton never gets out."

"You didn't go to the police or nothin'?"

"Didn't think I had to at first. I tried to pay him back—I really _did_ owe him the money—but when six months was up and I didn't have the money and I wouldn't sign on for him, he got to the cops first. I'm a wanted man again; I don't know how, but he somehow convinced 'em that I was guilty after all. I had to run." A look of disgust crossed his face. "He tracked me down, though. Two days ago, he brought me to his office and told me I had two days to decide to work for him. If I refused…" his eyes dropped to the tabletop. "…Clayton said he'd have you killed."

_Oh, Lord…Bo._ Luke felt his blood turn to ice water, unwilling to let his heart believe the conclusion that his quick mind had come to. "What are you saying?" he forced out.

"I'm saying…Luke, I—I don't know if Bo is still alive."

There was a terrible silence.

"No." Luke's voice was hoarse. "No, I ain't gonna believe that." He curled his hands into fists so tightly that it hurt.

"I've made a mess of this whole thing. I didn't mean for this to happen," Jud said dejectedly. "I thought if I could warn you to watch your back I'd be able to figure a way out of it, but now I'm too late."

"But said Bo's been kidnapped," Luke began, still trying to make sense of things.

"I don't know." Jud shrugged helplessly. "I only think so. If—if they'd killed him outright, they probably would have left him there." He sat still, thinking for a moment or two. "Luke, if I know Clayton, he'll be sittin' by the phone, waiting for me to find out what he's done. So if you don't mind me using your phone for a long-distance call…"

"You can use the one in here," Luke said, jumping to his feet. "I'll listen in from the living room. Just talk quietly…no need for Uncle Jesse or Daisy to overhear 'til we know what's goin' on."

Jud nodded in agreement. He pulled a business card out of his wallet and started dialing. As soon as he heard the phone ringing on the other end, he signaled for Luke to hurry and pick up the extension in the other room. Luke had the phone to his ear by the second ring, and halfway through the third ring, the phone was answered.

"_Yes?"_

"This is Jud Cane."

"_Ah, Jud. I was hoping you would call. Have you made a decision?"_

"You know I ain't about to give in to you."

"_Oh, come on. Don't try and act tough with me. I know you've found out your brother is missing. Why else would you call me?"_

Jud was surprised when the other man mentioned his brother, but he didn't miss a beat. "Clayton, let him go."

"_You can hardly presume to give orders. Luke is with me; he's safe for now. He was not injured in the accident."_

"_Accident", my foot._ Luke seethed at the man's casual dismissal of the part he played in running Bo off the road; but all the same, the knot in his gut loosened just a bit when he heard that his cousin wasn't hurt.

"_I've been more than reasonable, Jud,"_ Clayton was saying.

"Blackmail ain't reasonable," Jud snapped.

The businessman ignored him_. "You have until eight o'clock tomorrow night to agree to my request," _he said._ "If I don't hear from you by then, Luke dies. And if you bring the police in on this, I'll have him killed immediately."_

"Clayton—"

"_Goodbye, Jud."_ There was a loud _click_ as Clayton forcefully hung up. Jud slammed the phone down with an angry curse. Luke quietly replaced the extension and walked back to join his brother. Jud was glaring at the phone, jaw tight as he gritted his teeth.

"He's waiting for me to call him back," he said in a low voice. "Trying to force me to make the first move." The anger faded a little from his face, replaced by confusion. "What I can't understand is how come he thinks he's got you. He said that 'Luke' was with him, but we know he's got Bo. I don't know how that happened. 'Course, Clayton's such a pompous ass that he'd never think he might make a mistake. I bet he never even checked Bo's ID to see if he'd really got the right guy."

"It ain't just that," Luke said quietly. "They've had him for almost twelve hours now. Bo ain't the type to just sit back and let people push him around. If they don't know they got the wrong guy by now, it means Bo don't want 'em to know. He found out somehow that I was the one Clayton was after, so he's let 'em go right on thinkin' he's me." His face filled with a mixture of fondness and concern. "He's lookin' out for me."

Both men were quiet for a moment, looking at the floor, each lost in his own thoughts. Then a keen glint came into Luke's blue eyes. "Say, Jud…you know where this guy lives?"

"He's unlisted in the phone book so I don't know where his house is, but I've been to his office."

"D'you think he'd be keepin' Bo there?"

Jud lifted an eyebrow as he realized what Luke was getting at. "It's possible…It's a big office building in downtown Birmingham; a dozen floors, lots of rooms. He's got a lot of security guards workin' for him, though. Be pretty hard to get in."

Luke narrowed his eyes as he thought. "But Clayton is expecting you to come."

"Yes…"

"So if you showed up and told him you wanted to discuss your contract with him…"

"…They'll be watchin' me while you slip in the back?"

"Bingo." Luke chuckled and slapped Jud on the shoulder. "That's my brother! Uncle Jesse always said I came from the sneaky side of the family."

Jud grinned. "It's a crazy idea, but it's worth a try." Then he sobered. "But, Luke…before we do this, I wanna get one thing straight. If this doesn't work—" Luke's expression didn't change, but his eyes looked strained. "—if this doesn't work, I'm gonna let him have his way. He wasn't bluffing when he said he'd kill Bo. He _will_ do it. Clayton ain't worth risking Bo's life. It'll take me some time, but you know I'd find a way to get out from under him eventually."

Luke relaxed visibly, sadness and relief mingling on his face. "I wasn't gonna ask you to do that," he said quietly, "It ain't my place to ask you to give up your freedom. But I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't glad to hear you say that."

"Hey." Jud put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "I know you've got yourself two little brothers. You think there's anything I wouldn't do to help Bo? One way or another, we'll get him back safe, I promise."

The brothers decided to leave for Birmingham before dawn the next day. Luke called Cooter to ask him to come along; he knew they'd need all the help they could get. He avoided using the CB. They didn't think Clayton could be listening, but they wanted to play it safe just in case.

Jud borrowed Bo's bed for the night. When Luke turned off the light, he lay flat on his back and stared up at the darkened ceiling. The clock on the nightstand ticked softly as the minutes slid by. Eventually he heard Jud's breathing grow slow and deep as the younger man drifted off, but sleep was still far away for Luke. His habitual optimism was persistently trying to keep his spirits up, but a terrible, cold _"what if?"_ kept plaguing his mind.

He rolled over and shut his eyes, willing himself to sleep, hoping that he wouldn't dream of his best friend's warm smile and animated face growing still and cold forever.


	5. Not exactly Sherlock Holmes

_Yeah, Jud's got himself in another mess. See? I told you it would be eventually be obvious who was in trouble._ ;)_ (Yep, you called it, Jackie!) I started writing this story when I was still finishing up "Lights"…I'd seen the episode with Jud, but it had been a while. But it just recently aired again on CMT within the last few weeks—now I remember what he looks and talks like! Quite convenient, no? _:)

- Flynne

------------------------------

**- Chapter Five -**

"**Not exactly Sherlock Holmes"**

"Luke, I'll have you know this here's the biggest favor you've asked of me," Cooter complained good-naturedly. "It's one thing to ask me to tag along while you raise hell—you know you can count me in. But it's a whole other ball game to ask me to wear a suit while I'm doin' it."

Luke smirked and rolled his eyes. "Cooter…I'm breakin' probation right now. Do you have any idea what Boss is gonna say if he finds out I'm gone? If I can put up with threats of a striped uniform and my next ten years behind bars, you can handle a few hours when you ain't covered in grease. Besides, you look awful pretty when you get cleaned up."

Cooter scowled and leaned forward to the front seat to slug him in the arm. "And you just look plain awful." Luke and Jud laughed. The three men were riding in Jud's car—with the license plate from Daisy' Jeep, since the police would be on the lookout for Jud's plate. Jud had suggested that the three of them wear business clothes—at least until they were through at Clayton's office—so as not to draw too much attention to themselves.

"Hey, do Jesse and Daisy know where you're goin'?" the mechanic asked from the backseat.

Luke nodded. "They woke up when we were gettin' ready to leave. Weren't too happy that we were leavin', but they know there ain't much else we can do. Daisy threatened to scalp me if I didn't call the minute we found Bo."

"Hm." Cooter rubbed his freshly-shaved chin, unconsciously feeling for stubble that wasn't there. "She'd do it, too."

"Our exit's coming up, boys," Jud put in, glancing over his shoulder as he started to change lanes. He drove downtown and found Clayton's office building from memory. He parked a couple blocks away and put enough change in the parking meter for half an hour.

"I'm going in the front door," he said. "You boys will have to find your own way in. If things get hairy and we've gotta run for it, head for the car. Oh, and skip the tenth floor. That's where Clayton has his office. Let me look around up there."

Cooter cleared his throat. "If I can make a suggestion…you fellas need to stay away from each other. Clayton may think that he's got Luke, but once he gets a look at the two of you, he'll _know_ he got the wrong guy. Ain't no question that you're related. Y'all look too much alike."

Luke nodded. "Point taken."

Jud exhaled heavily. "Here goes nothing."

Luke and Cooter stayed behind while Jud headed down the street towards Clayton's building. After five minutes they started off, veering a block or two west so they could come in behind the building. A narrow alley lined with dumpsters ran between Clayton's building and the office behind it.

"Hey, check it out." Cooter tagged Luke with the back of his hand, pointing up with the other. "Fire escape."

Luke smiled grimly. "Too easy. You think they'd have someone watchin' it?"

Cooter shrugged. "Only way to find out is to try." He tipped his head back. "I'm guessin' you need a boost?" The rusty iron ladder hovered a good ten feet off the ground.

"If you can handle it."

"'If I can handle it,' he says," Cooter scoffed. He braced himself and formed a stirrup with his hands. Luke stepped onto his palms and jumped up as Cooter pushed up against his feet. His fingers closed around the cold black iron, pulling it down with him as he fell back to the ground. Both men winced at the metallic screech the rarely-used stairway made as the ladder extended, looking anxiously up at the second-floor windows. When several minutes had passed and they saw no sign that they had been noticed, they decided to climb on up.

"After you, Lucas." Cooter waited until Luke had reached the first landing before he climbed up and carefully pulled the ladder up behind him. He looked up to the roof of the building. "We startin' at the top?"

Luke shrugged. "May as well. We can work our way back down." He led the way up the fire escape. They went slowly, pausing as they passed each window, careful not to make too much noise on the metal stairs. When they reached the top floor, Luke carefully and silently slid the window open. He climbed nimbly inside and surveyed the room as Cooter followed him.

"Well. Looks like you had some good luck for once," Cooter observed. "Empty room."

"Yeah. One down, about a million to go," Luke exaggerated. "Let's get started. And whatever you do, don't look sneaky. If you look like you belong, nobody'll bug you."

"You hope," Cooter amended.

Luke nodded nervously. "I hope."

**xxxxx**

"Well, Jud, I must say I never expected you to be so stubborn about contract negotiations. Particularly since you don't have much choice in the matter," Clayton observed critically.

Jud refused to be intimidated. "I'm going along with you to save my brother's life. Anything past that is to save my own. I'm not gonna be one of your pawns."

Clayton narrowed his eyes. "Anyone who works for me works _for_ _me_, on _my_ terms. Don't make me bring Luke here and have him cut apart bit by bit until you sign on the dotted line. I _will_ do it, Jud. How long can you hold out when he starts begging you to give in?" Jud flinched, and Clayton knew he had struck a nerve. The young man knew him too well to doubt that he would carry out his threat, and the businessman could hear the faint note of desperation that crept into his voice.

"Listen, all you want is the money, right? Just give me a little more time!—a month, a week, anything. I'll sell everything I can get rid of…just wait a little longer. I've been trying to pay you back, remember? You're not hurting for cash—what's _wrong_ with you?"

"It's too late for that. I don't want your money anymore. You missed your deadline; someone is going to pay for it. Decide now. Will it be you or your brother?"

Jud was trapped, and he knew it. The idea of being indentured to a crook like Clayton sickened him, but the threat of torture hovering over Bo's head was too much for him to take. He let out a defeated sigh. "Okay," he said dully. "Push that contract over here. I'll sign."

The gleam of triumph lit in Clayton's eyes as he opened his desk drawer to reach for the paper, but he was interrupted by the intercom. He shut the drawer and reached out to press the button on his desk. "Yes?"

Hacker's voice came over the speaker. _"We've got a situation, Mr. Clayton. Strangers in the building. Security tried to take them down, but they ran."_

It took Clayton a handful of seconds to come to the conclusion that Jud was somehow connected, and a split second later his hand was inside his jacket, reaching for his gun.

Jud didn't wait around for Clayton to shoot him. He was on his feet before Clayton had completed the movement and bolted from the room, bowling over the two men standing guard in the hallway in a mad dash for the exit.

**xxxxx**

Luke and Cooter had made it down to the eighth floor without suspicion. They had thoroughly searched the top two floors of the building, both of which were used for storage and echoed silently as they walked through the corridors. The next few floors were offices. Most doors had glass panels, and they could see the employees working inside.

When they got to the eighth floor, it was quiet again. Many of the lights were off, and much of the floor was taken up by glassed-in conference rooms.

"Don't look like we'll find him here," Cooter observed quietly. Luke made a shushing gesture with his hand. The smell of coffee and the faint rumble of voices had reached him at the same instant. He could see a light shining from an open doorway and could hear men talking on their break.

"Ain't nobody workin' on this floor," Luke whispered. "Must be those security guards Jud warned us about. Come on, just walk past and maybe they won't notice us." They walked quickly but casually past the open doorway. They had nearly reached the end of the long hallway and Luke was beginning to think they had succeeded when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, just a minute…where do you think you're going?" One of the guards had stepped out of the break room and was staring down the hallway after them.

Luke gulped just a bit and turned around, casually jerking his thumb toward the stairwell. "Just on our way downstairs," he said conversationally.

The security guard looked him up and down. "Where's your ID badge?"

"We forgot 'em," Cooter put in. Immediately the guard drew his gun. "Whoa, now!" the mechanic remarked, putting up his hands. "Awful testy about a couple of nametags, ain't ya?"

The guard took a step forward. "You'll both have to come with me."

"Come on," Luke said. "We're just cutting through."

The flash from the muzzle and a soft thud were the only indication that the gun had been fired. The glass of the office window behind Cooter's head shattered, spattering the area with razor-sharp shards. Cooter let out a yelp and ducked, grabbing Luke by the shoulder and hauling him away. A second bullet buried itself in the wall in a cloud of drywall dust as the two men fled toward the stairs.

"The gun's got a silencer!" Luke hissed. "Come on!" The hallway light fixture exploded in a shower of sparks as a third bullet went wide. Luke barreled through the fire door to the stairs and pounded down the steps.

"Luke, down there!" Cooter warned. The door two landings below flew open and two armed men charged up the stairs toward them. Luke just kept going. The two men were going to hit the next landing at the same time he was—so he grabbed the railing with one hand and vaulted over, both feet striking the first man in the chest as he landed. The man fell back and slammed his partner against the wall, guns clattering to the ground. Cooter was right behind him. He kicked the dropped weapons down the stairs as Luke dispatched the stunned security guards with a clean punch to the jaw.

Footsteps were clattering down the stairs above them, mingled with shouts of alarm. Hearts pounding, Luke and Cooter raced down the steps two at a time. When the reached the landing to the second floor, Cooter suddenly snagged Luke's arm and pulled him out of the stairwell. They careened into the hallway and ducked into the first door they came to, slamming it shut.

"Well, how 'bout your Davenport luck?" Cooter said, pleased with himself. "Better'n Duke luck this time around, I'd say; another empty room."

"Talk about luck—you're lucky that trigger-happy yahoo upstairs is a lousy shot!" Luke said. "But where does this get us? We gotta get outta here."

"Use your noodle," the mechanic replied. "They know we was in the stairwell. So all they gotta do is wait for us to come bustin' out on the first floor and they've got us. We've gotta get back out the way we came in."

"Good thinking. Know where that is?"

"I think we're on the same side of the building, but the fire escape ain't by this window." Cooter crossed the room and pressed his face against the glass. "There's the alley, though."

The sudden pounding of footsteps in the hallway made them look up in alarm. "Only a couple minutes before they find us," Luke said, glancing at the door.

"Well, come on, then." Cooter slid the window open. "There ain't no stairs, but there's a dumpster down there. We'll have to jump it."

The door behind them banged open.

"Go!" Luke yelled. Cooter flung himself out the window with Luke just behind. They landed with a crunch in the full dumpster below, struggling to climb out of the rusty green bin as bullets ricocheted off the metal sides with a _clang_that echoed down the alley. As soon as Luke's feet hit the ground, he grabbed Cooter's hand and hauled his friend the rest of the way out, leading a headlong sprint to the street. They collided with someone running the other way, and Luke instinctively grabbed the man's collar and drew back for a blow.

"Whoa, Luke, it's me!" Luke recognized his brother just in time to pull his punch. Jud gave Luke and Cooter a shove back the way they had come. "Go on, head that way," he said breathlessly. "Too many people on my tail back there."

The three men sprinted out of the alley and into the street, disregarding the curious stares that followed as they ran. They didn't see the pair of hard gray eyes staring shrewdly after them from the second-storey window.

**xxxxx**

Robert Clayton paced around his office, forcing his movements to remain slow and deliberate in spite of the anger and anxiety pulsing through his veins. Jud had tricked him, he was certain of that—but he wasn't sure how, and the thought infuriated him. He stopped in his tracks and folded his hands behind his back when he heard a sharp knock at the door.

"Come," he said crisply. The wooden door swung silently open and Morgan stepped into the room. "Well?" he demanded impatiently.

"They got away," Morgan reported.

Clayton's mouth thinned in irritation. "Did you get a good look at them?"

"Yes, I did." Morgan's cold gray eyes narrowed. "Mr. Clayton, I think we should go back to your home and have a talk with the man who calls himself Luke Duke."


	6. And Then it All Hit the Fan

_If anybody has been missing Bo, he's back! Can't believe I wrote two Bo-less chapters in a row. I just realized that both stories I've written so far have the boys split up…I have no idea how that happened, since I like it best when they're together. Something to fix the next time around…_

_This chapter is short, but the next one is pretty long._

- Flynne :)

---------------------------

**- Chapter Six -**

"…**and then it all hit the fan."**

"Boys, that was _way_ too close," Cooter panted. He was bent double, shaking his head to dislodge the glass splinters that had landed in his tousled brown hair.

"This ain't good," Luke said tensely. "They know you were in on this, Jud."

"I know. That means I can't go back in there." Jud stamped his foot in agitation. "Clayton's mad enough that he won't care what I do—he'll shoot me before I can put my John Hancock on the dotted line."

"What'll this mean for Bo?" Cooter asked quietly. Nobody answered. Jud refused to meet his brother's eyes, unwilling to voice Clayton's threat to kill Bo by inches. Luke looked at the ground and balled his hands into fists.

"I shouldn't have done this," Jud said bitterly. "I should've just done what Clayton asked the first time. Dang it, Luke—I can't tell you how sorry I am. You said you'd be there for me, but all I bring you is trouble. I feel like a jinx."

"Stop talkin' like that," Luke said sharply, shaking himself out of his silence. "You can't change the past, no matter how bad you want to." A gleam of desperation touched his eyes. "And…we just _can't_ give up on Bo. I won't do it."

Jud nodded tersely. "You're right. Listen…Clayton said something about 'bringing Luke here'. We were wrong—Bo ain't in there. I don't even think he's in Birmingham. Our only hope of getting close to Clayton again is if he comes to us. So I say we watch that building and follow him when he leaves. If—if we're lucky, he might lead us to where Bo is."

"Right now, I'll try anything," Luke said.

"Great. So does this mean we can lose the monkey suits now?" Cooter asked.

Jud chuckled in spite of his anxiety and nodded. "Come on. We'd better hurry." Fifteen minutes later, their suits were stashed in the trunk of Jud's car and they were wearing their comfortable work clothes again. Luke was elected as wheelman since both Cooter and Jud agreed he was the best driver. Jud directed them to a nearby parking garage where they could watch for Clayton to leave.

Nearly half an hour dragged by. Luke could feel his heart growing heavier and heavier within his chest. Anxiety was twisting his stomach in knots as his blue eyes stared fixedly out the windshield. True, they might have a chance of finding Bo if Clayton left, but…what if the furious crime boss had simply placed a call to execute his prisoner? It could be weeks—maybe months—before anyone would know what had happened to him.

A sudden stab of fear and despair ran through him then, and he closed his eyes as his hands tightened on the wheel. Bo was a part of nearly every single memory he had—except for his time in the Marines, and a few years when Luke had been very young, still living with his own parents. He couldn't imagine life without his cousin. The thought of going home without him left him feeling terribly empty inside.

He inhaled sharply and released his white-knuckled grip on the wheel as he felt Cooter's hand descend on his shoulder.

"Hey, look," his friend said softly, "I think I see something."

Jud straightened in his seat. "Good eye, Cooter. That's him. And he's got Morgan and Hacker with him." He glanced at his brother. "Anytime you're ready, Luke. You're the expert."

"Sure," Luke forced out. He leaned forward and prepared to start the engine, glad that his friends hadn't noticed his tension. His fingers trembled as they hovered near the ignition, waiting for Clayton's car to drive away. The moment the car turned the corner, Luke started his brother's car and took off after them. Clayton's dark gray sedan led them on a winding route through the city before it turned onto a two lane road and headed out of town toward the wooded countryside.

It was tricky staying close enough to follow but far enough away so they wouldn't be noticed, but Luke's grim determination and his years of driving experience paid off. He took the car off the road and followed cross-country. Nearly forty minutes later, the gray sedan turned into a long gravel driveway and stopped in front of a graceful white mansion. Luke parked Jud's car at the top of a knoll, hidden within some trees about half a mile away. From his vantage point, he saw Clayton and his men exit the car and walk unhurriedly into the house.

**xxxxx**

Bo could tell he was in trouble the moment Clayton entered the room. Morgan stepped in behind his boss and closed the door. "What's your name, boy?" Clayton's voice was taut and filled with suspicion.

_He knows._ Bo felt an icy chill of fear wash over him, but he steeled himself and said, "That's a stupid question. I done told you I'm Luke Duke."

Clayton glanced over his shoulder at Morgan. The older man moved menacingly forward. Bo gulped and backed away, but Morgan lunged forward and closed the gap between them so quickly that Bo didn't have time to dodge. Morgan fisted a hand in his t-shirt and struck him across the face. "Mr. Clayton asked you a question," he snarled, giving Bo a sharp shake. "What's your name?"

Bo scowled and jerked back, shoving Morgan away. "Luke Duke," he replied stubbornly.

"Don't bother continuing your charade!" Clayton snapped. "Morgan saw Jud Cane _and_ his brother not too long ago. We know you aren't Luke. You've bought him some time, but not much. I'm sure he'd like to know the name of the man who gave him a few more hours to live—it will be the last thing he hears before he dies."

_Jud Cane? Then—it ain't Uncle Jesse at all! It's Luke's brother they're after!_ Bo realized with a jolt. Everything started to tumble into place. "Wait," he stammered, "You don't need Luke, I promise!" He spun around to retrieve his wallet from the armchair where he had hidden it the day before, holding it out for Clayton to take. "Here, look. My name's Bo Duke. Luke and Jud are my cousins."

Clayton plucked the ragged billfold from Bo's hand and flipped it open, looking for a driver's license. "Hm. Beauregard Duke," he mused.

"You don't need Luke," Bo repeated, clenching his hands into fists. "You got _me_. Jud don't want nothin' to happen to me neither."

"Quite the family ties you have," Clayton said dryly. "But you're wrong. I made a promise to Jud Cane: if he turned me down, his brother would die." He smiled coldly. "And he will. Be certain of that. Just be glad you won't be around to see it." He tossed Bo's wallet onto the floor and turned to leave. "Get rid of him, Morgan. Then take care of Jud's brother. I don't want any mistakes this time."

Bo jumped forward. "Clayton, I swear to you, if you hurt Luke—" Despite his age, Morgan was a hard-fisted, strong man. He quickly stepped in front of Bo and dealt him a savage blow, sending the young man spinning to the floor.

Clayton watched as his prisoner slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees, shaking his head dizzily. "You'll be dead," he said contemptuously. He stepped out of the room, brisk footsteps fading down the long hallway.

Bo's heart was racing as he slowly climbed to his feet. For a moment he thought Morgan might just shoot him then and there...but the henchman didn't go for his gun. Instead he turned and walked away, glancing back at Bo as he left the room.

"Don't get too comfortable." The door closed quietly behind him.

He returned fifteen minutes later with Hacker in tow. Bo knew he had nothing to lose and he almost rushed the two men in an attempt to escape—but that would only get him gunned down. They were obviously going to take him somewhere else before they killed him, and if that was the case then maybe he'd have a fighting chance once they got him out of the building…so he stood still and let Hacker bind his arms behind his back

"Where are you takin' me?" Bo asked, hating the nervous tremor he heard in his voice.

Morgan found his fear amusing. "We're going to the DeFord Dam," he replied with a faint smile. "You've got a lot of people trying to find you, and it won't do for them to be investigating a murder. Out at the dam, now…we just knock you on the head before we toss you over, and by the time your body's found—if it ever is—nobody'll ever know what killed you. All they'll know is that you drowned. I've done it before. Works pretty well, if I do say so myself."

Bo shuddered when he heard the callous detachment in Morgan's voice. He wished he could think straight so he could say something really nasty in reply…but his quick wit had frozen and his mouth had gone too dry for him to speak.


	7. Over the Edge

**- Chapter Seven -**

"**Over the Edge"**

Luke, Jud, and Cooter had left the car behind them, creeping cautiously toward the house through the trees. The thick woods came up close to the mansion, so with a little luck, Luke hoped they would be able to make it to the house unseen.

"When we get close, Cooter, go around back," Jud said in a low voice. "Luke and I will start casing the front of the place. Maybe we can see where they've got Bo." Cooter nodded in agreement and settled his ball cap more firmly on his head. The trio of men separated as they approached the house. Cooter disappeared into the tall landscaping that wound itself around into the backyard.

The three men inspected the house as best as they could; they didn't see anybody in the downstairs rooms, but there was an entire second floor that they couldn't get to.

"You think they've got Bo upstairs?" Luke asked.

"I don't even know if he's here at all," Jud reminded him reluctantly. "It's only a guess. And you know they're not gonna put him in a room where he can get out easily." Luke had to admit that his brother was making sense. He was about to suggest that they try to find Cooter and try to break in when the sound of a door opening made him freeze. He dropped to the ground immediately, hiding beneath the decorative shrubbery beside the house. Jud instantly joined him, and they peered out between the branches with bated breath.

Luke stifled a gasp as he saw a familiar figure emerge from the front door, flanked by Morgan and Hacker. Bo's hands were bound and Hacker was pressing a handgun against the small of his back. They were heading for the car again. The defiant and fearful expression on Bo's face sent a chill down Luke's spine.

He gave Jud a quick glance. "There's only two of 'em," he whispered. "If we move now, we can take 'em." Jud replied with a quick nod. Slowly and silently, the two brothers rose from their hiding spot and moved across the lawn.

"That's far enough, Jud!"

Everybody spun around at the sudden bark coming from the house. Luke's heart dropped to his feet as he saw Clayton standing on the porch. A powerful handgun was cradled in the criminal's palm as he walked forward with slow, confident strides.

Bo had turned around at the same moment. He was astonished, relieved, and alarmed all at once to see Luke and Jud standing behind him. _I shoulda known that stubborn cuss wouldn't just sit back an' wait for me to come home. Aw, Luke, you were so close! Just another minute and we coulda busted outta here!_ Then he looked past his cousin and saw the gloating expression on Clayton's face, and he felt hope die within him. Morgan and Hacker were taking him away to kill him, and unless some miracle happened, Luke was as good as dead.

"I underestimated you, Jud," Clayton began. "That was a stupid thing for me to do. I'm not going to do that again."

"Let Bo and Luke go, Clayton." Jud spoke quietly, but his voice was threatening. "I mean it. This is between you and me."

"They're in too deep now. You dragged them into it, not me." Clayton looked over to Hacker and Morgan, sill standing close behind Bo. "Get him out of here." Before he had finished speaking, the two men had seized Bo's bound arms and hauled him toward the car.

"No!" Luke bolted forward, but skidded to a stop seconds later when Morgan raised his gun. Trapped between Clayton and his henchmen, Luke could only watch helplessly as his best friend was dragged away. Bo fought to free himself, but with his hands tied, the two men easily overpowered him. When Hacker took one hand away to open the door, Bo managed to wrench away from him, but Morgan was right there to catch him and slam him against the car. Luke heard his cousin bite back a pained yelp as he hit the gleaming metal. Before he could recover, the two men had taken hold of him once again and forced him into the back seat of the car.

"Luke!" Bo called out to his cousin and caught one last glimpse of his face before the door slammed shut, locking him inside the dark car once again.

Luke could only stare after them as the car started up and headed for the road. Morgan wasn't speeding. He was taking his time, letting Luke watch him drive away with the knowledge that Bo wasn't going to come back.

When Clayton cleared his throat behind him, Luke slowly turned around…but if Clayton had expected to face a beaten man, he was disappointed. Luke fearlessly drew himself up and frowned darkly as the older man's calculating gaze swept him from head to foot. "So _you're_ Luke Duke," he commented casually. "I should have known Bo was lying. He doesn't look a thing like Jud."

"Where are they taking him?" Luke demanded.

"Bo isn't your concern any more. He behaved very admirably, though. A very self-sacrificing young man." Clayton smirked. "Too bad his efforts were wasted." Luke was only half listening, trying to figure a way out of the situation. Clayton was standing too far away for him to knock the gun from his hand. He was considering just charging the other man when he saw a flicker of movement over Clayton's shoulder. Cooter had seen the whole thing from around the far corner of the house, and he was creeping cautiously up behind the armed criminal.

_Stall, Luke_, he told himself. "All right—so you kill me," he said. "You think that's gonna sweep this under the rug? You'll blow it wide open…there's a whole county of people lookin' for Bo right now. Some of 'em know your name. When I don't come back, they'll come lookin' for me. You ain't gonna get away with this for long."

"You aren't the first person to say that to me," Clayton replied. "And you won't be the last. Believe me, I know how to shut people up." He shifted his aim and leveled the muzzle of his weapon at Luke's chest, curling his finger around the trigger. "Sorry, Luke. I'd say it's just business…but it's personal now."

Cooter made his move. He covered the remaining ground between himself and Clayton in a split second, and wrapped the gray-haired man in a bear hug from behind as he tackled him. They hit the ground hard and the crack of gunfire echoed through the trees as Clayton's hand clamped around his weapon. The bullet buried itself harmlessly in the dirt. Luke jumped forward to help his friend. Between the two of them, they had him pinned to the ground before another moment had passed.

Luke's brother had scooped up the discarded firearm, and when they hauled Clayton to his feet they saw him hefting it casually in his hand, glaring coldly at the crime boss. "Start talking, Robert," he growled. "Where did they take him?"

"You've made your last mistake, Jud Cane," Clayton said venomously.

"I wouldn't talk about mistakes if I was you," Luke put in, tightening his grip on Clayton's arm. "You're caught dead to rights—an' if you know where they're takin' my cousin, you'll tell us so we can stop 'em. Are you gonna get charged with kidnapping or are you gonna get charged with murder?"

The look Luke received from Clayton was filled with fire, but he could see the first flicker of uncertainty in the other man's eyes. Finally an expression of disgusted defeat settled on his face as his drive for self-preservation won out over his desire for revenge. "They're taking him to the dam," he spat. "But it's too late now. He'll be dead before you get there."

His grim prediction went unheeded. Spurred on by a last burst of hope that they could reach Bo in time, the three friends raced back to Jud's car—but not before taking Clayton to a nearby storage shed and binding his hands and feet securely with a tough length of extension cord. They closed the padlock on the windowless shed as a final safeguard against escape, and then they were burning rubber on the back roads, leaving a cloud of dust behind them.

**xxxxx**

The road out to the dam was deserted and Morgan took full advantage of it as he ignored the posted speed limit. Bo was sitting as still as he could, slowly working his hands behind him in a vain attempt to loosen the ropes. He wished he could make more effort, but with Hacker sitting right next to him he knew if he moved too much he would be found out.

And he tried to ignore the hollow pain that kept welling up inside of him. For all he knew, Luke was already dead. Clayton would have no reason to keep him around, not even to blackmail Jud; he'd probably just kill Jud, too. They had gambled and they had lost. He wondered where Jesse and Daisy were and what they knew, fighting back the thought that he would never see them again. _Oh, no…I ain't gonna give up yet. You can kick a Duke when he's down, but he sure as heck ain't gonna stay there. Y'all ain't beat me yet._

His stomach tightened as he saw the trees thinning up ahead. A long length of chain-link fence came into view, topped with strips of barbed wire. The sedan rolled to a stop in front of a tall gate that was fastened closed with a thick length of chain and a padlock. Bo expected his captors to try and break in, but instead they led him away from the gate and stopped about a hundred yards down the fence. Morgan pulled a small set of pliers out of his pocket and twisted a few links in the fence. Bo saw that the fence had already been cut through, held closed by just twisting the links back together. In just a few seconds, a man-sized hole sprang open with a cold, metallic rattle. The bald man slipped through the space and turned to smile insidiously back at Bo.

"Just like I told you," he said, voice laced with self-satisfaction, "I've done this before."

Bo felt a chill run down his back. He knew if they got him through the fence, his chance of escape would be all but gone. It was now or never. He twisted away from Hacker and ducked, head-butting the other man just below the sternum. Hacker grunted in pain and doubled over, releasing his hold on his prisoner. Bo spun on his heel and turned to run, but a stunning blow from behind made him stumble and he fell to his knees. Morgan had been watching and had slipped through the fence before Bo had been able to take three steps.

Bo squeezed his eyes shut, wincing as pain radiated through his head. Morgan had struck him with his pistol. If Bo had been standing still, it would have rendered him unconscious; but he had been moving away enough so he had just caught a glancing blow. All the same, it hurt enough to stop him in his tracks. Then Hacker had recovered and wrapped an arm around his neck, hauling him roughly to his feet. Bo struggled at first—then he felt the cold edge of a knife blade press against his throat and he stilled instantly.

"We should just kill him now," Hacker said through gritted teeth. "Get this over with and get the hell out of here. Nobody knows to look for him here. Just tie him to a rock and toss him in the lake and they'll never find the body. This lake is too big for them to drag."

"No," Morgan said coldly.

"Clayton's probably already killed Cane and his brother. Who's going to come looking? Let's just get rid of him and get out of here before someone sees us."

"I said _no_! You've got him now, don't you? Just hold onto him long enough to throw him in."

Hacker let out an irritated snort, but he didn't argue. With his knife still held against Bo's neck, he followed Morgan through the fence and across the field towards the dam.

**xxxxx**

Luke could see DeFord Dam through the trees. It was out in the country, sitting in the middle of sprawling fields and forests, holding back a large lake. The pale concrete was dry and bare at the top, but several meters down, there was an opening where the lake water spilled through and tumbled down into a wide, swift-flowing riverbed. Then he sat up as if an electric current had run through him. He had caught sight of the gray car parked beneath a cluster of trees beside the fence. He steered the car around a curve in the road so fast that the tires squealed and the back end fishtailed.

"Luke, we ain't gonna get there at all if you smash us up," Jud said, grabbing on to the door.

"I see their car," Luke replied. "Quick, look around and see if you can find Bo."

Cooter squinted and leaned out the window. "Can't say that I—Luke! There they are! Those two goons are already on the dam. I see Bo, but it don't look good from here. Put that pedal through the floorboards, Lucas!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

Bo's mind was racing as he was forced out onto access walkway on top of the dam. DeFord Lake stretched smooth and blue-gray off to his left, but the only thing between him and a long, hard drop was a waist-high concrete wall on his right. It was maddening knowing that if he tried hard enough, he could get away—he'd be willing to take a chance and dodge a couple bullets—but the cold knife blade was pressed so tightly against his skin that it was beginning to cut him, and if he fought against it he would slit his own throat. Then he felt Hacker reach down and start fumbling with the rope that bound his hands. His heart began to pound and his lean frame grew tense—this was his last chance to fight. He could be shot, stabbed, drowned…or maybe, just maybe he could escape.

Hacker had just pulled the rope off Bo's arms when the sound of a car engine met his ears. His head whipped around to look back the way he had come. "What the hell…?" He gasped as he saw a car emerge from the trees and tear across the field. "Morgan!" His sudden exclamation caused his companion to spin around, staring in shock at the approaching vehicle. "Dammit—tell me that's not Jud Cane's car."

"Hold on, y'all!" Luke said. He braced himself and crashed into the chain-link gates at sixty miles an hour. The lock snapped on impact and the gates flew open with a ringing crash. He didn't slow down until they were almost at the access walkway to the dam and running out of road. He stomped on the brake and the car slewed around in a half circle as it screeched to a stop. Luke didn't even bother to turn off the engine before he, Jud, and Cooter bailed out and bolted toward the dam.

Morgan's breath hissed between his teeth and face twisted into a snarl as he drew his weapon.

And Hacker's grip on Bo slackened just enough.

Before he could be stopped, Bo lunged backwards against him, throwing the other man off balance. Bo wrapped both hands around Hacker's wrist, forcing it away from his throat and twisting hard. The dark-haired man cursed furiously as pain shot up his arm. His fingers opened reflexively and the knife clattered to the ground. Bo spun around and threw himself against Hacker, sending him stumbling against Morgan. The sound of a gunshot rang out as the bald man misfired, the bullet he had intended for Luke going wide as Bo barreled into him.

Hacker hit the ground, but rolled to his feet almost immediately. He sprang forward and grabbed hold of Bo, dragging him away from Morgan by slinging his heavy arm around the young man's neck yet again. His large hand closed around Bo's left wrist and he jerked his arm behind his back.

Bo let out a strained growl as he fought against the confining grip. "Can't you think of somethin' new to grab?" He rammed his right elbow back against Hacker's ribs, but the other man was too incensed to notice the pain. He was heavier and more muscular than Bo and matched him inch for inch in height, and he used every pound to his advantage as he wrestled his prisoner forward to the wall.

"So long, Duke," he hissed. He gave a violent shove—

Luke felt as if the ground had dropped out from beneath his feet. He skidded to a stop, shocked, and unwilling to believe his eyes.

Bo was gone.


	8. SpiderMan

_I think I should have put a disclaimer in the first chapter: "No animals or Dukes were (permanently) damaged in the making of this story." _;) _Thanks again to everyone who has left comments! I'm glad you're enjoying it. And apparently I can't count…I discovered the other day that I have ten chapters, not nine. _:P _They're on the way!_

- Flynne :)

------------------------------------------------

**- Chapter Eight -**

"**Spider-Man"**

Bo heard Luke call his name as he went over the wall. His hand shot out by pure instinct as he fell, catching hold of the top of the wall just long enough to twist himself around. He grunted painfully as his chest and stomach smacked into the concrete face of the dam, but his headlong fall had been turned into a rapid feet-first skid. He felt a burst of terror as he slid, grabbing uselessly at the smooth stone face that burned his hands as he slipped down the sloping side.

Then the rushing water caught his legs like a gigantic icy fist and yanked him down.

_I'm a dead man._

The thought had barely seared its way across his brain when his right arm suddenly caught on something solid. The water was nearly blinding him with its spray and making everything slippery, but with strength born of desperation, Bo held on. A thick, dark tree trunk—shattered by lightning and rotten with age—had sunk beneath the surface of the lake months ago, been caught by the current, and become lodged in the outflow opening in the dam. A few of the thick branches hung out over the lip of the opening like groping arms as the lake water rushed by them and plummeted to the riverbed below.

Bo felt the waterlogged limb flex beneath his weight, but he stubbornly refused to think of what would happen if it broke. Through sheer force of will, he dragged himself over and wrapped his arms around the branch. There he was, hanging a hundred feet above the churning white foam below.

**xxxxx**

_No…oh, God, no… _Luke felt as if his feet were cemented to the ground. He couldn't believe that he'd just seen his best friend fall to his death. A tearing sense of loss ripped through his chest. He couldn't breathe. Dimly, he saw Hacker and Morgan bringing their weapons to bear once more.

"Luke, _get down!_" Jud tackled his brother and knocked him to the ground as the bullets whizzed overhead. Luke snapped out of his trance as he hit the dirt, rolling away from Jud as he bounded to his feet. Not caring about the gunfire, he charged forward and rammed his solid shoulder into Hacker's midsection. Jud and Cooter were at his heels. His brother disarmed Morgan with a skilled blow to the gunman's right hand, following it up with a hard left hook that sent the older man reeling.

Hacker lost his gun when Luke tackled him. Growling angrily, he clasped his hands together and brought them smashing against the side of Luke's head. Ears ringing, Luke fell away—but Cooter was right behind him. The stocky mechanic threw himself on top of Hacker, trading blows with the dark-haired man until Luke shook himself off and jumped to his feet. He grabbed Hacker by the back of his jacket and hauled him off of Cooter, spinning the crook around to face him. He drew back and threw all his weight and fury behind his fist. Hacker crumbled to the ground and lay there unmoving.

Moments later, Jud dropped Morgan with an iron-hard left hook. He spat on the ground where the older man fell. "That's why they call me 'Killer Cane'," he said coldly.

Breathing hard, Luke stumbled to the wall at the edge of the dam, terrified to look down. Dread filled his stomach like hot lead as he placed his trembling hands on the concrete wall and leaned over the edge. He nearly choked on the ragged gasp that burned his chest. Hardly daring to believe it, he blinked and looked again. Just below the spot where the water curved over the face of the dam he could see a red t-shirt beneath the current, and a dripping blond head lifted just above the surface of the water. A burst of hope suddenly took hold of his heart.

"I can see him!" Luke sputtered. "Jud! Cooter! He's alive!"

**xxxxx**

Bo was cold. At that moment, it seemed to him that he had never been so cold in his life. The green and white water was tearing past him, pulling constantly on his body, bleeding his strength away with every passing second. His arms were burning fiercely and his chest ached as he struggled to breathe. The chill of the water hit him like a kick to the chest, and it was getting harder and harder for him to hold his head above the racing torrent. _I can't do this much longer…_ Fear wrapped his pounding heart in a grip even tighter and colder than the water that tumbled over him.

"_Bo!"_

The voice seemed to come from far away.

"_Bo!"_

"L-L-Luke?" With great effort, Bo lifted his head and saw his cousin looking down at him.

Luke looked frantically at Cooter and Jud. "He ain't gonna be able to hold on forever." He leaned over the wall again and gauged the distance—Bo was more than four meters down. "There's no way we can get him from here." The words were bitter in his mouth.

Jud grabbed his arm. "Yes we can! Luke, I keep a rope in the trunk of my car with my jumper cables! Wait right here—I'll go get it!" He spun on his heel and sprinted back the way they had come. Cooter stared after him, but Luke stayed near the edge of the dam where he could see Bo, praying hard that his cousin would be able to hold on just one more minute…one more minute…

Jud came pounding back across the dam, carrying a long coil of rope. "How do we wanna do this?" he asked breathlessly. "Just toss it to him and have him grab on?"

"I guess we'll have to," Cooter said. "Between the three of us, we can pull him up no problem." They dropped the line over the edge of the dam. Luke watched anxiously as they steered its path right next to where Bo was.

Bo saw the rope coming through the spray. He shook the water from his ears and swallowed hard, blue eyes fixed on the wet hemp as it dangled next to him. In his mind's eye, he could see himself letting go of the branch to reach for the rope—but when he started to move his hand, his tired and aching muscles cramped. He gasped as he felt himself slipping, nearly choking on the mouthful of water he got when his head dipped below the surface. He came up coughing, clinging tighter than ever to the tree limb. His numbed hands were just barely keeping their grip on the rough bark. There was no way he could hold on to the rope. And then he knew that he was really and truly stuck. He gave one last despairing glance at the rope before turning his eyes to the top of the dam again.

Luke felt a sudden surge of dread as he saw and understood the hopeless look on Bo's face. "He can't grab the rope. He's too tired. If he lets go, he'll fall."

"What do we do, Luke?" Cooter asked.

A determined look settled on Luke's face. "You guys'll have to lower me down."

"Do _what?_" Jud exclaimed.

"Don't argue with me, Jud. We don't have time!"

"If you're sure," Jud said. He quickly pulled the rope back up.

"Yes he is," Cooter agreed firmly. "And so am I. And we're gonna do what he says." He looped the rope around Luke's chest under his arms, and tied a quick but secure knot before taking hold of the other end of the rope and bracing himself.

Jud stepped up behind him and wrapped his hands around the rope. "Good luck, brother. You can do this." Luke nodded once, took a deep breath, and leaned over the edge of the dam. He gripped the top of the wall with his hands and eased himself over, sliding down the face of the dam as Cooter and Jud kept him from falling into the thundering depths. The slope was nearly vertical, so steep that Luke kept thinking he would pitch backward and fall, but the hands holding the rope were steady.

It was slow going as he crawled steadily downwards, and he felt constant fear that each second that passed would be one second longer than Bo could endure. He gasped as he first slipped into the swift-flowing water, left breathless by the sudden cold, but he managed to keep his wits about him and push off the surface of the dam with his hands to keep his head out of the water.

Bo's blue eyes were wide with fear as he saw the risk his cousin was taking, but he gritted his chattering teeth and held on even more tenaciously. _Just a little longer…a little longer…_

Luke had immediately started to shiver in the cold torrent. He felt a rush of relief as he finally came alongside Bo and felt his cousin's hands beneath his chilled fingers. He reached out and slid his hands under Bo's arms. "Bo, you're gonna—gonna have to let go!" he said. Bo squeezed his eyes closed and didn't answer. "Bo, _come on!_" Luke urged. "I gotcha…grab onto me, put your arms around my neck." In a sudden moment of fear, Luke thought that Bo might be too frightened—or too far gone—to listen.

Bo _was _frightened. The cold water had left him weakened and numb, and his mind felt sluggish. He could barely feel Luke's arms around him. If he budged an inch, he knew he'd fall. How could Luke possibly hold him up? But his cousin was telling him to let go, and Bo trusted him implicitly. With a sudden burst of strength, he tore his left arm away from the branch and flung it over Luke's shoulder.

For one terrifying instant, Luke was afraid that he couldn't hold on to him, but Cooter and Jud lowered him down a few more inches and he was able to slide his hands all the way beneath Bo's arms and behind his back. He clasped his hands together, locking his cousin in the strong circle of his arms.

"That's it, Bo," Luke said encouragingly. "One more, you can do it." Bo didn't hesitate this time. He let go of the tree entirely and wrapped his other arm around Luke's neck. Luke felt the strain in his water-chilled muscles as he bore Bo's full weight around his shoulders, but he clenched his jaw and held onto his cousin like grim death.

"He's got 'im, Jud!" Cooter crowed. "Pull 'em up, quick!" The two men backed away, dragging their heavy burden up as quickly as they dared. Luke could feel Bo's shuddering, rasping breaths as he held onto him. The rope around his chest was tight and made it hard to breathe and the concrete scraped at his skin through the back of his soaked shirt, but there wasn't a chance in hell that he was going to let go.

When the two cousins were almost completely back from the edge, Cooter let go and darted forward. He reached a sturdy arm over the wall and hooked his fingers onto the waistband of Bo's jeans. Jud let go of the rope and grabbed onto his brother's arms, hauling him completely over the wall to safety. Another pull, another moment, and Bo came scrambling over the edge of the dam, collapsing in a heap against the concrete wall.

Cooter knelt by his friend's side instantly and lifted him off the ground to prop his back against the wall. "Dang, Bo…you okay?" Bo's eyes were closed and he was gasping for breath, but he managed a weak nod. The stocky mechanic quickly shed his jacket and draped it over Bo's trembling shoulders.

With Jud's help, Luke pushed himself up from where he had been sprawled on the pavement and hastily untangled himself from the rope. He scooted over next to Bo, nudging the young man's shoulder. "You in there, cuz?"

This time Bo opened his eyes. "Thanks to you," he forced out, voice shaking with fatigue.

Cooter laughed in relief and mussed the sopping blond curls. "Yep, he's gonna be okay," he told Jud cheerfully. He cast a critical eye at the older Duke cousin. "How're you feelin' Lucas?"

Luke was shivering in the cool April breeze, still out of breath from the cold water, but a relieved smile was on his face. "Not bad. Not bad at all." He draped an arm around Bo and squeezed his shoulder. "Buddy, I tell you—your guardian angel must've been pullin' double overtime today. You realize there wasn't nothin' to stop you from fallin' except that one tree?"

Bo nodded once, blowing out a long breath. "Yeah…I know."

Jud bent to pick up the weapons that Clayton's henchmen had dropped and nudged Hacker's prone body with the tip of his boot. "These guys are gonna start coming around soon," he said. We'd better get outta here."

Luke frowned darkly. "They're comin' with us," he said firmly. "I ain't gonna let them run free after what they done. No matter what Clayton said about you, the law's _got_ to do somethin' with 'em now."

"I tell you what we'll do, Luke," Cooter said, readjusting his baseball cap. "We can't all fit in one car, so me'n Jud will take these two dirtbags in _their_ car an' then you and Bo can take Jud's."

Luke nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." He looked at Bo, huddled against the wall inside Cooter's jacket. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah." Bo swiped a shaking hand over his face to brush away the trickles of water running down from his hair. "You'll have to help me up, though. I don't th-think I can move."

Jud gave Luke a hand up, and then he and Cooter each took hold of one of Bo's arms and lifted him to his feet. The exhausted young man was shaky and could barely manage to stay standing. Luke stepped over and put an arm around his shoulders, partly to steady him, partly to warm him up.

Cooter shook his head. "You two look like a couple of drowned rats. You're a mess."

One side of Bo's mouth lifted in a shadow of a smile. "Ain't we always?"

Luke laughed, relieved to see that Bo had enough of his wits about him to crack a joke. "Come on, let's get outta here." He led the way to Jud's car and opened the door for Bo.

Bo dropped onto the seat and dragged his long legs into the car, letting his head fall back against the headrest. "Boy, Luke…I was—was all numb there for a wh—while and now I got p-pins and needles all over." Luke gave Bo's shoulder a sympathetic pat and closed the door, jogging around to the other side. He started the car and immediately turned on the heat. Bo scrunched down in the corner and made himself as small as possible, pulling Cooter's jacket closer around his shaking shoulders.

Luke glanced over at his cousin as he pulled out onto the road in front of Cooter and Jud. "There's a lotta room on the seat here," he said. "I don't mind if you lean on me." Bo immediately scooted over, pressing his shoulder up against Luke's. It meant that Luke's right arm was effectively pinned to his side, but that didn't matter. He had long ago mastered the art of driving one-handed.

"Don't help much, but at least one side of me is warm," Bo commented.

"Good to hear." Luke could feel that Bo was still trembling as he leaned against him. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm f-freezin' but I ain't hurt. Just my hands a little," he said, uncurling his fists to look at them. His palms were scraped and reddened from the concrete and from holding on to the rough bark for so long.

Luke's face grew solemn and he cleared his throat. "I tell ya, Bo…I thought we lost you there for a minute."

Bo sighed heavily. "Me too. It ain't very often I get that scared." He gave Luke's shoulder a nudge. "But when I saw you comin', I knew you'd fish me out."

"Yeah, well…" Luke smirked. "Treat me nice or next time I go fishin' I may throw you back. For a skinny guy, you're heavy." Bo chuckled. It was the best sound Luke had heard all day.


	9. Off the Hook

**- Chapter Nine -**

"**Off the Hook"**

They didn't go back to Birmingham. It was a long drive, and everybody wanted to get home to Hazzard as soon as possible. Morgan's car didn't have a CB, so Luke was in the lead and put in charge of all navigational decisions. So when he saw a sign for the mid-size town of Kensington, he decided they should find the police station there and be rid of Hacker and Morgan—and try to sort out the mess with Clayton and his brother.

By the time they reached Kensington, Luke was starting to sweat a little in the uncomfortably warm car—but he really didn't mind the heat because Bo had finally stopped shivering. They stopped in front of the police station and filed inside. The desk officer's eyes grew wide when she saw the ragged-looking group of men entering the building. Hacker and Morgan had regained consciousness on the ride into town, and ever-resourceful Cooter had used his own shoelaces to tie their hands behind their backs. Cooter and Jud were scruffy-looking from the fight, and Bo and Luke were still wet to the skin.

The officer, whose nametag read "L. Casey", rose to her feet, tucking a stray strand of reddish-brown hair back into her bun. "Can I help you?"

Luke nodded. "You certainly can, Ma'am."

Casey's expression went from skeptical to surprised to concerned as Luke told her the story from the beginning: starting with the false accusations against Jud, to the threats, kidnapping, and attempted murder. By the time Luke was done, her face had grown hard, but her eyes were filled with compassion. "I'm going to get my watch commander," she said, rising from the desk. "But hold on just a second…" She pulled a key off of her belt and crossed to a supply cabinet against the wall to pull out two gray woolen blankets. "They're not very soft," she said apologetically, "but they're warm." She shook them open and draped one first around Bo's shoulders, then Luke's.

"Thanks, ma'am," Bo said with a smile. "I sure appreciate it."

She smiled back. "You fellas go sit down over there. I'll get Sarge and we'll see what we can do about straightening this out."

"Ma'am, before you go…do you mind if I use your phone?" Luke asked. "It's long distance, but we've got people back home who've been worried about Bo—they're waitin' to hear from us."

The policewoman nodded. "Go ahead."

The phone had barely finished the first ring when it was snatched up.

"_Luke, that you?"_

He grinned as he heard Daisy's voice come over the line. "Yeah, it's me. I got some good news for ya, Bo Peep. You can tell the Shepherd we found the Lost Sheep we've been lookin' for." He laughed when he heard her thrilled exclamation.

"_Uncle Jesse, they found him! Luke, is he all right?"_

Luke darted a glance over at Bo, sitting on the bench, wrapped tightly in the blanket as he dripped on the floor. "Yeah, he's okay. It got a little close there for a minute, but we're all fine."

"_Let me talk to him."_

Luke looked over his shoulder again. "Hey, Bo, you think you can come over here? There's a real pretty gal who wants to talk to you."

"For Daisy, I can do it." Bo rose stiffly and came over, tucking the phone against his ear. "Hi, sweetheart." He smiled fondly as he heard his cousin's anxious inquiries. "Well, I'm pretty dang tired, but I'm okay."

Jud smiled, watching the animation return to his cousin's face while he spoke to Daisy. "I'm sure glad he's all right. You, too. I'd never forgive myself if somethin' had happened to either one of you," he said quietly to Luke.

"Hey, that goes both ways," Luke told him. "Me an' Bo couldn't let nothin' happen to you, either." He glanced over at Cooter, standing watchfully behind Hacker and Morgan. "Those two have been pretty quiet," he observed. The two prisoners didn't say anything, but the glare they directed his way was murderous.

Cooter grinned. "I said I'd wallop 'em if they gave us any trouble. They tried, and I did. They ain't tried nothin' else. They're smarter'n they look!"

Finished with his phone call, Bo replaced the phone in its cradle and wandered back over to stand next to Luke.

"You talk to Uncle Jesse too?" Luke asked.

"Yup. He said to tell you hi…and that Rosco found out you were gone."

Luke groaned and slapped his forehead with his palm. "Aw, that's just swell. That means Boss knows, too. I can't _wait _to hear the earful we're gonna get when we get back."

"Don't count on it, cuz," Bo said smugly. "From what Uncle Jesse said, it don't look like Rosco'll even try to nab us in a speed trap for at least a week…Daisy was at work and heard him talkin' with Boss, plannin' to bust us for breakin' probation. She tore them a new one—read 'em the riot act, chapter and verse—scared 'em clean off our tail."

"You're kidding," Luke gaped.

Bo laughed. "Nope. 'Course, she _also_ threatened to quit the Boar's Nest, too. There was a whole crowd of fellas in there at the time, and they up an' told Boss if _she_ left, they'd take their business wherever she went."

"Nothin' like losin' money to shut Boss up. I bet you he still gives us a hard time about it, though."

"Yeah." A wistful look crossed Bo's face, then. "I tell ya, though…I sure would like to get back home anyway. It's only been a day but it feels like a week." Luke put his hand out and squeezed his cousin's shoulder reassuringly.

Officer Casey emerged from the back, carrying two Styrofoam cups. She held the steaming coffee out to Bo and Luke. "Sergeant Paylor will be out in a minute. In the meantime, I hope this'll make you feel better."

Bo smiled gratefully as he wrapped his hands around the warm cup. "You're a lifesaver. Thanks a million." He glanced again at her nametag and tipped his head to the side as an inquisitive and slightly-sly gleam came into his eyes. "So what's the 'L' stand for?" he ventured.

She gave him a lopsided smile. "My first name." She patted his arm and gave Luke an amused glance. "Well, if he can flirt, I'd say he's functional." Luke chuckled. She turned to Jud and Cooter. "Would you fellas like coffee, too?"

"I'm fine, ma'am," Cooter replied. "Unless you got a beer back there."

Casey laughed and shook her head. "Sorry, but you're outta luck there."

The door swung open once again, and a tall, thin sergeant with short-cropped fair hair stepped into the front office, followed by another officer with glasses.

"My name's Paylor," the sergeant said. "I've been on the phone with the Birmingham P.D." He fixed his serious gaze on Jud. "They told me they were looking for you, Mr. Cane."

"But he ain't done nothin' wrong!" Luke protested. "I told Officer Casey the whole story."

"I know, and she told me. But we need to look into this a little more. She tells me you've got Robert Clayton tied up in a storage shed on his property?"

Bo's eyes widened as he bit back a snicker. Luke nudged him in the ribs and said, "Yes, sir. He ain't hurt, but I bet he's mad enough to spit nails by now."

"Well, I won't lie to you," Paylor admitted, "Clayton is well known in these parts. A lot of us have wanted to put him away for a while, but he's been just slippery enough so nothin' sticks to him."

"I'll help it stick."

Paylor's eyebrows shot up as he looked past the Dukes to Cooter, Morgan, and Hacker, still standing near the side wall. It was Hacker who had spoken. "I'm not going to take the rap for him," he said sullenly. "Everything I did, I did under orders. If I go to jail, he's going with me."

"Mighty friendly bunch of guys," Bo said under his breath.

"Here's what we're gonna do," Paylor said after considering for a moment. "I'll send a team out to Clayton's home to bring him back here. In the meantime, we'll toss those two in the back and talk to Mr. Cane." He glanced over his shoulder at the younger officer who had come in with him. "Sidlow."

"Sir?"

"Would you mind taking these boys back to the showers? They probably want to warm up and get outta those wet clothes." He looked at Bo and Luke, stern gaze softening just a bit. "If you leave your clothes on the benches back there, Sidlow can take 'em to the Laundromat down the street. We'll have 'em dry before you head home."

"Thanks, Sarge." Luke put his hand on Bo's back and steered him towards the back as they followed Sidlow. The officer led them down a hall into a brightly-lit locker room.

"We're in the middle of a shift now," he said, "so it should be pretty quiet back here. There's a few shower stalls around the corner to your left." He pulled open one a storage locker and dug out two pairs of sweatpants and t-shirts. "You can put those on while you wait for your stuff to dry. Spare towels are in the cabinet once you get back there."

With another thank-you for the help, the cousins disappeared around the corner. Luke was dry and dressed in just a few minutes. He was out the door and heading back up to the front of the police station before Bo had even begun thinking about moving out from under the hot water.

"Hey, Luke!" Cooter hailed him as he emerged from the back. He was sitting on Casey's desk and had evidently been engaged in his typical lively conversation with her while Luke had been gone.

"Where's Jud at?" Luke asked.

"Still in the back with the sarge and them two yahoos. I wouldn't worry too much, though. He's a Duke on the inside, and you know nobody can get nothin' to stick to that name for long. Laurel here says that Clayton should be gettin' here before too long, and then I think we'll really see some fireworks."

Luke smirked. "So you got her to tell you her first name, did you?"

Cooter just grinned while Casey laughed. "I asked him where the name 'Cooter' came from and he wouldn't tell me until I told him my name. I like to pick my battles, so I let him win this one. Don't go telling that cousin of yours, though," she finished, pointing a finger at Luke. "We don't want to hurt his feelings."

Luke laughed, put up his hands, and shook his head. "Not a word." He sat down on the bench and leaned his head against the wall, content just to listen to Cooter and Casey talking in the silent office. The stress of the past couple days was steadily draining from his body, leaving him feeling peacefully at ease—but he was also realizing how tired he was. His eyes were just beginning to grow heavy when the CB radio on the desk suddenly buzzed to life and he came fully awake once again.

"_This is Car 24 calling Base, do you read?"_

Casey picked up the mike and leaned forward. "Car 24, this is base. Go ahead."

"_Just letting you know we're almost back with the suspect. ETA fifteen minutes."_

"Ten-four, Car 24. Base out." Casey looked up at Luke and Cooter. "Well, looks like you were right. Clayton should be here shortly."

Luke stood up and stretched. "I should go find Bo. He won't wanna miss this." He wandered into the back part of the station and saw Sidlow coming in from the back door carrying a plastic bag, just returning from the Laundromat. Luke took the bag with another thank-you to the helpful officer and headed into the locker room.

He found Bo sitting on a bench, wearing the borrowed sweatpants as he vigorously towel-dried his hair. "Hey, you're finally out! 'Bout time, you took even longer than Daisy does. Feel better?"

Bo's blue eyes looked up at him through a fringe of still-damp blond hair. "Sure do. Man, I thought I'd never get warm again." He looked approvingly around him. "This is a nice police station, I'll tell ya that. We oughta ask Rosco to put a shower in when we get back in Hazzard. Might make it a little nicer next time we gotta wait for Uncle Jesse to bail us out."

"You tell him that when we get back," Luke said with a smirk. He fished Bo's dry clothes out of the bag and tossed them over. "Here, put those on. Your travel agent is gonna be comin' in any time now."

"Is that right?" Bo grinned as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Bet he'll be glad to see me." The two young men changed quickly and were out front just in time to see a police car roll up outside. A stone-faced Robert Clayton emerged from the back seat with his hands cuffed behind him, herded into the building by a pair of armed officers.

"Hey, Bob!" Bo said cheerfully as the older man stepped through the doors. Clayton's face twitched as he saw the Duke cousins waiting in the lobby, but he remained silent. Then the side door opened and Jud emerged from the back, followed by Sergeant Paylor.

"That's a wanted man, officer," Clayton said immediately.

"That's my business, Clayton," Paylor replied coolly.

"We're not arresting him," Casey informed him. "Thanks to your friend Hacker, we're convinced that Jud Cane is innocent."

"_Hacker?_" Clayton's face twisted in anger. "I should have known that glorified bouncer would cave." He looked with disgust at Jud, Bo, and Luke. "I should have shot you all myself when I had the chance!" he snarled.

"Death threats on the day you're arrested?" Jud smirked and folded his arms. "If I were you, I'd quit digging that hole. You're already in deeper than you wanna be."

The businessman rounded on him furiously. "You worthless son of—"

"Don't say it, pal," Luke cut in. "Anything you say about him, you say about me. An' then I'd have to bust your face, and I don't really wanna get my hands dirty." Bo laughed, eliciting a venomous glare from the gray-haired man.

"You're all nothing but a bunch of stupid hicks," Clayton snapped.

"Maybe, but we done outsmarted _you_." Bo propped an elbow on Luke's shoulder as he leaned on him. "You picked the _wrong_ family to mess with."

"Go on, take him in the back," Paylor said, tipping his head toward the cell block. As Clayton was led away, the policeman turned his attention back to the Dukes. "I ran a check on both of you…your friend, also." His brow furrowed slightly. "You didn't mention you were on probation."

"Uh…" Bo looked at Luke, unsure of what to say.

"We didn't think it was important, considerin' the situation," Luke said cautiously. "You probably can guess we don't have no travel permits…"

Paylor hooked his thumbs in his belt. "I called your probation officer back in Hazzard. He said he was glad you were all right, but he told me I should arrest you anyway for breaking probation by leaving the county without a permit …Said you were 'troublemaking repeat offenders'."

Bo and Luke exchanged an alarmed glance, but Paylor continued: "But according to Uncle Sam, you've only got one charge against you: making and trafficking illegal whiskey…and according to your record, you've never violated the conditions of your probation. So I don't know what kind of trouble Commissioner Hogg thinks you're in back in Georgia, but under the circumstances, I'd say you two get a bye." He smiled wryly. "I told him to stick his charges where the sun don't shine."

Bo let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks a lot, Sarge. You give us half a minute someday and we'll tell you _all about_ Commissioner Jefferson Davis Hogg."

"Well, listen, if he harasses you at all, you give me a call. I'll make sure he doesn't get you in any more trouble. You shouldn't need a permit to save someone's life."

Cooter laughed and shook his head. "Poor old Boss. He don't give up easy, does he?"

The front door opened and another officer poked his head inside. "I got the car all ready, sir."

"Good. Bo, Cooter, and Luke, I asked Mitchell over there to drive you back to Hazzard since Jud's going to Birmingham."

Luke frowned quizzically. "You're what?"

"I need to go back and straighten all this out," Jud explained. "Paylor already called 'em and told 'em I was coming. It'll look better if I go straight there of my own free will."

"I made sure an attorney would be there to meet him," Paylor explained. "Don't worry, boys. From all that's happened and what Hacker has told us, I don't think Jud will have any difficulty getting this erased from his record. He should be able to go home with you in a week or two."

Luke looked at his brother, his eyes holding the question that he was hesitant to ask.

Jud half-smiled and let out a little sigh. "I'll come visit as soon as I can, Luke, but…I'm not gonna stay. Hazzard's your home, but it's not mine. I know you wanted–"

"Jud, what I want is for you to be happy where you are. Like I told you last time: you gotta do what you gotta do. So go do it, and don't be a stranger."

Jud grinned. "You got it. And I promise, next time I come I won't get you in trouble." He stepped forward and hugged his brother goodbye.

"Well, come on, you Lost Sheep!" Cooter came up between Bo and Luke, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "The big bad wolf is caught and y'all gotta get back to the barn."

Bo rolled his eyes as he allowed his friend to propel him forward. "Cooter, anybody ever tell you your metaphors stink?"

"Nope!"

"Well, they do."

"Bo, you know what a metaphor is?"

"Don't you start nothin' with me, Luke Duke. 'Cause you know I'll finish it."

Luke laughed aloud and draped his arm over his cousin's shoulders. "Whatever you say, Bo. Whatever you say."

-------------------------------------

_The end is in sight! One more chapter left. It's short, and it's just a final wrap-up for the guys, so I'm hoping to post it within the next few days. (I've got to get Bo, Luke, and Cooter back to Hazzard somehow, right? Besides, Jesse and Daisy would never forgive me if they didn't get to reunite with their boys.)_ ;)

- F :)


	10. Bring it on Home

_Well, this is it! Thanks so much to everyone who read along and left comments. As always, I appreciate it and I'm very glad you liked the story. And yes, I do have a couple more ideas in the works…_ :) _Not exactly sure when I'll get them done, but I'll put updates in my profile every so often as I go along._

_Later!_

- Flynne :)

---------------------------------------------

**- Chapter Ten -**

"**Bring it on Home"**

As soon as the police car pulled up, Daisy came bursting out of the house with Jesse right behind her. Bo climbed out of the back seat and braced himself just in time to catch her as she ran forward and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Bo baby, I'm so glad you're okay! We were so worried about you!"

"You sure are a sight for sore eyes!" Bo gave her forehead a quick kiss. "I guess this means you missed me as much as I missed all y'all back here?"

"Sure does!" She gave him one last squeeze before she stepped away to give Luke a welcoming hug.

Jesse moved closer and wrapped Bo in a firm embrace. "Good to see you, boy." His gnarled hands rested heavily on his nephew's shoulders and he looked up intently into Bo's face. "Are you _sure_ you're all right?"

Bo smiled. "Yeah, thanks to Luke and Cooter." Then the smile on his face faded a little and his brows drew together as he asked hesitantly, "How's the General?"

Jesse laughed and clapped him on the back. "Ain't that just like you? Worried about the car when you was hauled all over the South. The General's fine. Just a few repairs and you boys'll be back to raisin' Cain in no time."

"I brought your license plate back for ya, Daisy," Cooter put in, holding the metal rectangle out to her.

"Thanks!" She took it and tossed it in the general direction of her Jeep before giving him an enthusiastic hug and planting a kiss on his cheek. "That's for bringin' both my cousins back in one piece!"

"Only one kiss for two cousins?"

She laughed at him and kissed his other cheek. "Better now?"

"You betcha!" A mischievous gleam came into his eyes as he put an arm around her waist. "...Although I _will_ say I kept that Jud fella outta trouble, too…"

She smirked and slugged him playfully in the stomach. "Don't push your luck, honey."

Jesse beckoned to his oldest nephew and extended his arm to wrap it tightly around Luke's shoulders. "Bo told me how ya climbed down to get 'im when we talked on the phone," he said quietly. "That was a big risk, Luke. I'm proud of ya."

Luke sighed contentedly. "Thanks, Uncle Jesse. But you know…I'd do more'n that if it meant bringin' everyone home safe."

"I know you would. You're a good man, son."

"Hey, y'all, come on!" Daisy said cheerfully. "Uncle Jesse an' me got supper waitin' inside."

"Now _that_ is the best news I've had all day," Bo said. "I thought I smelled biscuits out here! You know I ain't had nothin' to eat since lunch yesterday? I feel 'bout as empty as the Boar's Nest on Sunday morning."

"Well, git yourself inside and chow down!" Jesse said, pointing to the house.

"Yes, sir!" Bo put an arm around Daisy's shoulders and headed for the door, followed close behind by Luke and Cooter.

Jesse turned and walked toward the squad car, extending his hand to the policeman who had been standing by silently, watching the reunion with a smile on his face. "Name's Jesse Duke," he said. "I wanna thank you for bringin' the boys home. I gotta say it's the first time I've ever been glad to see 'em in the back of a black and white."

"Lee Mitchell," the officer replied. "It was my pleasure. They helped us put away a real dangerous nuisance…and after all they'd been through, it was the least I could do." He shrugged and rolled his eyes a little. "And my watch commander told me to."

The old man chuckled. "Why don't ya come in for some supper before you head back?"

Mitchell smiled and nodded. "Don't mind if I do! It's a long drive back to Kensington…I'd appreciate havin' something in my stomach before I head out."

"Well, come on, then." Jesse turned to lead the way. "If we want any biscuits, we best get in there 'fore the boys eat 'em all."

The two men disappeared into the house and the screen door slammed closed on the gathering dusk, but the bright light and laughter from the kitchen filtered out the open windows into the clear country air.

**xxxxx**

Life on the Duke farm had gotten a little off-track for a day or two but the spring planting couldn't wait, so Bo and Luke were hard at work playing catch-up for the next few days. In the evenings, they took Jesse's truck into town to work on the General with Cooter. By the end of the week, the General Lee was looking and running as well as he ever did before he was run off the road.

Bo happily climbed in the General while Luke got into Jesse's truck to drive it back to the farm. With a final wave to Cooter, they put Hazzard behind them and headed for home. As soon as the glow of the streetlights faded behind him, Bo settled behind the wheel with a contented sigh and floored it, feeling the familiar rumble of the engine as the car flew along.

"_Hey, Bo, when you get to Keller Field, pull it over, okay?"_

Bo was a little surprised, but he picked up the CB mike with a grin. "I hear ya, Luke! That's a big 10-4." He cruised along the dirt road for the next few miles and swerved around the bend, pulling a hard left across the uneven long grass in a wide, treeless field. He cut the engine and climbed halfway out, sitting in the window with his arms folded on the roof as he waited for Luke to arrive. Jesse's truck came bumping across the grass and the field went abruptly dark as Luke cut the lights.

"So what's this all about, cuz?" Bo asked as his cousin hopped out of the cab.

"Celebratin' the General's return," Luke said. He lifted his hand, and in the faint starlight Bo could just make out the silhouettes of a couple longnecks.

He grinned. "Ain't a bad idea!"

The two cousins climbed onto the General's hood and stretched their legs out, leaning back against the windshield. Luke pulled out his knife and pried the bottle caps off. Bo took his beer and held it up in a salute. "To the General!"

"To the General," Luke echoed.

They sat there in silence for a while, slowly sipping their drinks as they stared up at the stars. It was a new moon and the night was clear and cool. Out in the country, the dusting of stars in the black sky was bright and thick. Miles away, the lonely sound of a train whistle wafted on the wind.

Luke swirled the liquid in his bottle for a minute and took a slow breath. "Hey, Bo?"

"Yeah?"

"I ain't had the chance to tell you this yet, us bein' so busy an' all, but…I really appreciate what you done for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Lettin' Clayton think you were me. You coulda died, Bo. And I know you've always got my back, but…I guess…I just want you to know that it means a lot to me; you bein' willing to take a fall like that for me."

"Oh, well…" Bo ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by the warmth in his cousin's voice. "I wasn't—I mean, I knew that might happen, but…well, I didn't think about that then. I couldn't hardly do nothin' else. I just knew I didn't want those two trained gorillas puttin' any more holes in your head." He made a fist and lightly socked Luke on the shoulder. "Heck, you're the one who thought he was Spider-Man! Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled to bits to see you comin', but I remember thinkin' it was one of the crazier things you've done. Well, if you don't count what happens on the road, of course."

"You might be right, there," Luke admitted with a smile.

"_One_ of 'em," Bo continued, "but not the craziest." He started to laugh. "I still remember that one time you had the goat on top of—"

"Ain't you _ever_ gonna let that drop?"

"—An' when Aunt Liv asked you what in _sam hill_ you were doin' with the hairdryer—"

"I was fourteen!"

"That don't mean nothin'. I was _ten_, and I knew better'n to pull a stunt like that."

Now it was Luke's turn to laugh. "Like heck you did! You were up there with me!"

"Well—yeah, but it was your idea."

Luke opened his mouth as if to protest, but paused, changed his mind, and gave a sheepish shrug instead. "Okay, you got me there. But it didn't seem so crazy at the time. The goat didn't seem to mind too much." He sobered a bit, running his thumb around the top of his bottle. "Actually, Bo…I don't think goin' down after you was crazy at all. Like you said…I couldn't hardly do nothin' else."

Bo released the last of his mirth on a sigh, taking another pull at his beer. "I guess nothin's crazy where friends and family are concerned."

Luke smiled. "I guess not." He propped his bottle against his hip and leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. "Y'know…Jud told me he knew I had two little brothers."

"He's a smart fella," Bo replied, mimicking Luke's posture. He gave his cousin a little smirk and raised an eyebrow. "Although I hope that wasn't news to you. You bein' so bright an' all, I reckoned you'd've figured that out long ago."

Luke chuckled, reaching out to cuff Bo lightly on the head. "Don't you worry none. I knew it. And it ain't gonna change." The two cousins sat in silence for a while, slowly draining their bottles as the stars crawled by overhead. High above, the fiery tail of a meteor streaked across the sky.

Finally Luke clapped Bo on the shoulder and slid off the hood. "We should probably head back. It's gettin' late and Uncle Jesse's gonna wonder why we ain't home yet."

"Right behind ya, cuz." Bo tipped the last of his drink down his throat and tossed the bottle on the floor of the General as he climbed inside. The sound of engines and the bright gleam of headlights cut through the stillness as the stock car and the old pickup truck started up. Keller Field grew dark and quiet once more as the young men—cousins on paper, but brothers at heart—disappeared down the winding dirt road.

– **END –**


End file.
